The Great Illusionist
by anj6193
Summary: The third installment to the Left Behind series! When the reign of Ice falls...the flames of justice will rise. Heartstrings will be pulled until snapping, characters will be changed forever, and they will confront their biggest fears when all hope seems lost. This is the toughest gang of enemies that Luigi and the gang have ever faced.
1. Chapter 1

"27…28…29…30!" I counted out loud. "Ready or not; here I come!"

Who knew that I would be playing this game again? It's kind of funny actually; being a grown man and all. Slowly I walked through the kitchen, lifting pots and opening cabinet drawers. It was around two in the afternoon, and it was raining Toads and Koopas outside. I could hear the rain pounding on the window pane across the room as I opened the closet door. There was nothing but a mop and a broom inside. Closing it, I walked out into the living room. It was dark because of the ominous clouds outside. The lamp was on; but other than that it was pretty dim. I looked under the couch, over the TV and in the fireplace, but I saw nothing. Humming my concern, I walked through the kitchen again and opened the bathroom door. Knowing that there was nothing in there, I went up the stairs.

The first room I checked was the bathroom up there. I quickly pulled back the shower curtain, but no one was there. I searched in the drawers and in the medicine cabinets behind the mirror, but still found nothing. I walked into my room, and once again saw nothing. Going back downstairs, I checked the kitchen once more. I stood absolutely still and held my breath to not give myself away. After a few minutes, I released it and walked back into the living room. I felt myself smirk when I saw the blanket that was on the lounge chair. Tentatively, I crept towards it, and pinched the corner of the blanket. In one swift movement, I tore it off.

"Ahh!" Luma shouted in terror. He began to laugh. "Mama found Luma!"

I laughed as he sat on my shoulder. "You're good at Hide-and-Seek."

"Thanks, Mama."

We sat down on the couch (I did; he sat in my lap) and he looked up at me. He put his little hands out. Knowing what he wanted, I used my pointer fingers to play patty-cake with him. Well, his version is Yummy Cookie; but it is the same thing.

"Yummy cookie yummy cookie for Luma." He piped as we tapped alone. "Mama make a cookie for Luma. Roll it, and bake it, and shape like a Star. Now eat the cookie with Mama and Luma!"

It made me smile to see him this happy. He giggled, and politely asked if he could get a cookie from the jar. When I nodded, he zoomed off. A few seconds later, he came back with two. He handed one to me, and we both enjoyed a light snack of cookies.

"Mama." He peeped at me. "Question."

"Yes, Luma?" I looked at him.

"Is…Mama happy?"

I was thrown back a bit. "Why wouldn't Mama be happy?"

"Lots has happened in past. Now boring and sad. Mama happy that all over?"

"Well, it is good to get a break once in a while." I patted his little head. "No brakes mean no cookies."

"Why?"

"Mama wouldn't have time to bake them. He would be too busy saving the Kingdom."

"Like Uncle Mar-Mar?"

I nodded lightly. I knew that Mario was out and about today. Peach wanted him to come over to enjoy a cake she made. Knowing what this might lead to, he grabbed extra equipment and told me to watch over the Kingdom while he was gone.

Speak of…

"Uncle Mar-Mar!" Luma shouted in joy as he entered the house. "All wet."

"I guess I am." He greeted Luma as I handed him a towel. "What did you and Mama do today? Get any cookies baked?"

"Mama play Hide-and-Seek! Wanna play with Luma?"

"I have to get dry first. After dinner maybe." He faced me. "How do you like babysitting a Luma?"

"It's a lot more work than I thought it would be." I answered honestly. "At last I can hold some sort of a conversation with him. I wouldn't trade him for any Star in the sky."

"'Cause Luma Mama's Star!" he shouted in joy as he took Mario's towel. "Luma help."

"So no Bowser?" I asked. He faced me. "What happened?"

"This is for you." He handed me a piece of folded notebook paper. "I haven't read it, but I know that it is bad."

"How?"

"The handwriting…"

I looked and he was right; it looked like it was written in a hurry. I opened it slowly, and read the contents. I felt the blood drain from my face as I folded the paper again. I faced my brother, and he nodded, understanding.

"When?" he asked softly.

"Once the rain lets up." I responded.

He nodded, and we went back to what we would normally do as Luma flew in, asking about dinner. I laughed lightheartedly, and asked him what he wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking through Boo Woods is not the most pleasant experience for anyone…especially at this hour (and after the heavy rain). The full moon was casting eerie shadows all through the area. It was impossible to tell the difference between shadow and tree. I have to admit, though; I did run into a few tree branches as I was walking. The wind would howl through the area once in a while, and it would send cold chills all through me. Sighing, I tried to keep my composure as I stepped over a fallen tree trunk.

_Come quickly_, the note had read to me. A sloppy _E _accompanied the short note. I knew who this was. I had left as soon as the rain let up, leaving the note behind so that Mario remembered where I went.

Why did he want me at this hour?

Crossing the little bridge, the small, run-down shack came into view. Luma popped out of my hat, sitting himself on my shoulder. I knew that he was scared; I felt his little body quiver in fear and temptation. He dimmed his light to not blind me as I approached the door. Gathering what little courage I owned, I knocked on the door lightly.

"Who is it?" a small voice called out.

"It's Luigi." I answered. "Did you send me a note?"

"Come on in, sonny."

Slowly I opened the door. It was pitch black inside the building. Luma lit up a little, and I could make out the outlines of the lab. As I stepped in, the wind caused the door to slam shut behind me. Luma screamed and hid under my hat.

"I need your light." I told him slipping my hand in my hat. I felt him hold it. "Mama's here for you. Come on out, okay?"

Holding on to a finger, Luma emerged and gave off a bright light.

"He's a bright fellow." Professor Elvin Gadd said as he scuttled towards me. "What is his name?"

"Luma." He piped. He turned to me. "Light off?"

"Not yet. What did you need me for, Professor?" I followed him silently as we went deeper into his lab. He approached the light bulb and pointed at it. "Really?"

"No; that just happened." He answered. "It is more of an added bonus, if you think of it."

I sighed, and changed the light bulb for him. Once it flickered to life, Luma dimmed his and sat on my shoulder. Gadd ushered me into another room, and told me to sit down. As I did, I watched as the old man's eyes filled with fear.

"Professor…" I whispered. "What is it?"

He sat down. "Sonny, there seems to be a problem."

"Well, I would assume so by the note you gave me."

He downcast his eyes, refusing to look into mine. I knew that it was something bad. It took a few minutes before he could face me again. "There seems to be some suspicious activity in the Mushroom Kingdom. I called you here because I feared that it would have stopped if I came there." I nodded, ushering him to go on. "Sonny…I wish I could say more, but I can't. I know nothing about the activity that is happening. Normally I would ignore such actions, but one of them struck me as odd. Do you know a man named Brian?"

"Mr. Pirate Man?" Luma asked.

I nodded. "He was Captain Syrup's right hand man for a while. He joined us in our last fight with Fawful. Why?"

"He just came by not too long ago, mentioning something about apparition activity in the dock area. What he told me frightened me a tad; the reason I called you was for this."

"What… kind of activity?"

"Name-calling; the spirit is calling names."

I felt the hairs on my arms rise. "Who's name?"

"Mario's. Yours. Rose's. Wendy's…everyone that was involved in the last adventure. Brian explained to me that the actions started up a few days ago. The only physical contact it ever had was it tried to grab him. I'm guessing someone sent Brian to me to talk about the ghost activity."

"They usually don't grab people, though…" I whispered.

Gadd nodded. "That's what concerns me. Whatever is there wants the heroes."

"Do you want me to go there?"

He nodded lightly. He handed me a small grey rectangle. "Take this. You know how to work it."

I turned the Game Boy Horror in my hands slowly. Luma looked at it in interest. Its screen flickered to life, and I could see the background of the lab. Gadd left my side, and appeared on the screen, asking if I could hear him clearly. I nodded, and he came back to me, handing me what looked like a pair of ear buds. I placed one in my left ear, and Gadd instructed me to tape the wire to my face and down my body so I wouldn't lose it. As instructed, I used clear tape to plaster it to me. I plugged it into the Game Boy Horror. Gadd went back to the screen, and asked me to stand outside of the shack.

"Can you hear me?" his voice emitted from the ear bud.

"Loud and clear." I answered wincing. "A bit too loud, though."

I heard a few mechanic sounds, and his voice spoke to me, softer than last. After confirming the correct volume, I reentered the shed. We talked for a few minutes, and he told me to watch myself as I made my way towards the dock.

"Is it waterproof?" I asked as we made our way towards the door.

"It's the same deal with the Poltergeist 3000." he reassured me. "It's practically indestructible. You know how to call me, yes?"

I pressed a small button on the cord under my ear. A loud beep sounded from his monitor. He nodded, telling me to be careful. Thanking him for his help, Luma and I went out again, heading towards the Mushroom Docks.

* * *

The breeze was extremely strong as Luma and I walked to the docks. The poor little guy had to hide in the space between my shirt and overalls so he wouldn't get blown away. My hat somehow managed to stay on my head. I reached the entrance to the dock and paged Gadd, telling him that I had arrived at my destination. I proceeded with caution, now holding my hat to my head. A few sailors looked at me like I was insane, but when I asked them, they pointed me in the right direction. Near the end of the dock was a small ship and the words _S.S. Lily_ were painted onto the side of it. It was a lot smaller than the other trade boats on the dock. Slowly, I made my way up the ramp and knocked on the door into the brig. I walked in slowly, and a pirate greeted me.

"Is Captain Brian on board?" I asked.

He nodded, and guided me to the Captain's Room. He shouted to the Captain that he had a visitor, and told me that I could go in. I entered slowly, and stood by the entrance. The Captain's chair was facing away from us. Luma flew out of his shelter, and floated towards the chair. I saw him disappear behind it.

"Hi." Luma piped.

"Hello, Luma." I heard Brian greet him. "Is your Mama here?"

"Uh-huh."

The chair turned, and Brian smiled lightly as I greeted him. He dismissed the other pirate, and we were alone. Luma floated back to me, and Brian and I had a friendly handshake. He told me to sit down, and I did. He sat back down at his chair, and slowly stuck his hand into his pocket. I watched as Luma's eyes grew in happiness when Brian pulled out a small cookie.

"I knew he would be coming along." Brian spoke lightly as Luma happily munched on his cookie. "What brings you here, Luigi?"

"Professor Gadd." I answered. The smile that was on Brian's face diminished instantly. "He told me about the spirit. Has it done anything else?"

"It is safe to assume that he told you that it tried to grab me, yes?" I nodded. "Well, Rose was here the other day to drop off a few items for me before I set sail again. It was broad daylight, and it screamed her name. It was inhumane and demonic. If that wasn't strange; it called her by her full name, Rosette. Wendy was nearby, and she told me that she heard it."

"Why?" Luma asked.

He shook his head. "I have no idea. Whatever it is, it is beginning to irritate me. It's scaring off my crew and won't leave me alone. It pestered me about Rose; I think it knows about my relationship with her. To make matters worse; if I don't answer him, it screams."

"That's…not normal. When do you hear him or her?"

"Usually at night, but if Rose appears in the day he'll act up; his voice is too deep to be a female."

"Capt'n." the pirate came back in. "Your lass is here."

Brian stood up and walked out, leaving me to follow him. We walked back out into the wind, and Rose was standing next to the platform of the boat carrying a box. She smiled at Brian, but it grew to a shout of joy when she saw me and Luma. We walked down the ramp and she hugged me first. She gave an individual hug to Luma before turning to Brian. They held hands for a short bit, and I felt a smile on my face.

I'm glad they have each other now.

"And how are you, my sea flower?" he asked softly.

"Fine; a bit spooked, but okay." She answered.

Brian's face filled with worry. "Is he bugging you again?" a laugh cut the conversation short. Luma hid in my shirt and Rose clung to Brian. "Go away!"

_Why should I?_

Oh. My. God. I felt fear enter me like never before. I paged Gadd, pressing the button multiple times. He yelled at me to calm down and asked what was wrong.

"Who are you?" I asked out in the open. "And why are you here?"

_Mario…Luigi…Rosette…Wendy…Mario…Luigi…_

"Yikes." Gadd whispered.

_Where…the heroes…where…_

I gulped. "I am Luigi."

The area filled with silence. The wind had stopped, and the only sound that was audible was our breathing and the light static from my ear piece. Luma flew out slowly, and undid the buttons on my overalls. Before I could say anything, Luma tore off my shirt, not only freezing me but exposing my scar.

"Proof." Luma chirped.

_Good. You are he._

"What do you want from us?" Brian shouted as I put my shirt back on.

_Mario…Rosette…Wendy…where?_

"I am Wendy." She approached us.

Where the hell did she come from?

"And I am Rose." Rose whispered lightly.

Both girls performed a light spell.

_Mario…Mario…_

Luma zoomed off. It only took a few seconds, but Luma was pulling Mario's finger towards us.

"Nearby." He squeaked.

"What's going on?" he asked confused.

_Mario…Mario…_

_ "_I'm here." He answered.

"You need to prove yourself." Brian spoke.

Sighing, Mario jumped a good distance into the air.

_All four gathered… all four here…all…_

"Will you leave us alone now?" Brian was about to snap.

_Patience…is…key…wait till night…come at night…_

"Why not in Brian's ship?" Rose offered. She continued before he could retort. "It's dark in there."

_Go…go into ship…I follow…_

We all filed into Brian's office. He and Rose were sitting in the Captain's chair, Mario and I stayed near the door and Wendy leaned against the desk. The curtains were drawn closed, and a small white light floated in the middle of the room. It took the form of a small Boo. He was no bigger than Luma.

"Heroes." he spoke.

"We're here," Mario responded lightly. "What do you want?"

"Listen to me." he commanded. "My name is Booling, and I have a warning to speak."

"Aren't you in leagues with King Boo?" I asked cutting him off.

He floated to my face. "He and I are no longer associated. I wanted to warn the heroes, but he said no. He wanted you to suffer and find out the hard way. If you had no forewarning, he would come back and finish what he had tried to accomplish."

"Who is it?" Rose asked.

He shook his body. "I cannot say; I do not want to risk others hearing. All I can say is that he is growing in strength, and once he can hold his physical body again; there will be no one who can stop him."

We all nodded.

"Can you give us a hint?" Mario asked.

"The only thing I can say is that he is a dark performer. Other than that, I say no more."

Booling faded into nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

We all sat there for a few minutes; unsure of what to do. My main concern wasn't the warning that Booling gave us; it was _why_ he gave us the warning. I voiced this concern with everyone else, and they took that into consideration. We spoke about it for a few minutes, and decided that the best thing to do was to gather the rest of the crew. One by one, we left Brian's ship and made our way towards the heart of the city. I thought that we were going to Princess Peach's Castle so that we could talk to her about the problem that had suddenly come up, but Wendy didn't turn towards her Castle. Confused, I followed her.

"I know a better place to meet." She spoke after I asked. "There is a lot of room and no one should be able to hear us; unlike at the Castle where it is a hotspot for others to be seen."

"Good idea." Brian answered.

We followed Wendy for a few minutes before I realized where we were going. I immediately recognized the path. If I really wanted to, I could close my eyes and probably make it to the destination. Wendy turned her head, and smiled; probably because she knew that I knew where we were going. The sounds of the city faded into the early afternoon, and were softly replaced with the noises of pure nature. Although the group was talking about the next move we should take, the sounds of the wind weaving through the tree branches was peaceful and soothing. When we got to the clearing, the breeze was soft and a huge mansion came into view. I smiled softly, seeing it in good condition. Wendy walked up to the front door, and pulled out a set of keys.

"Why do you have keys to the house?" I asked.

"He made duplicates." Wendy responded unlocking the door and opening it. "Since I am always busy, he gave me a set and said that I could come when I had time."

We all walked in, and Wendy walked over to the wall speaker. She pressed the button.

"Are you here?" she asked softly.

"God, Wendy." A male voice cracked through the speaker. "Scared me. Yes, I am. Be down in a few."

"Dining Room? We have guests."

"Please and thank you."

Wow…he got manners, too.

"Has he changed the layout of the house?" I asked.

"No." Wendy responded as we walked there. "There are so many rooms that he doesn't know what to do with them. He is thankful that you gave him a map."

"Trust me; I've gotten lost in this place, too when it was mine."

We entered the Dining Room. I felt a chill slowly travel through me as I remembered my last encounter in this room. Without even looking, I knew that Mario was really uncomfortable in this house. I don't blame the man, either; I wouldn't like the house if I were trapped in a painting for one terrible night, not knowing if I were going to be saved or not. The door opened, and Waluigi came in.

"I see that you are making this your home." I greeted him.

"I am indeed." He responded. "I can actually sleep and get things done."

"I'm really glad that the property didn't go to waste."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Wendy asked.

We all sat down, and filled Waluigi in on the situation at hand. He groaned in frustration and rested his head on the table, knowing that he had to go on this adventure with us.

"Naturally I wouldn't drag you into it." I explained. "But there is a good reason that we had to ask you."

"And what might that be?" he asked not lifting his head.

"The Chosen Heroes…there are four."

"Me, You, Mario, and Wario, right?"

Mario burst into laughter.

"No…thankfully." I answered. "Two of them are Mario and I."

"The 3rd one is Rose." Brian spoke with force.

I think Waluigi got the idea. He raised his head, and looked at Wendy, who nodded slowly.

"No." he commanded flatly. "I won't let you."

"It's not a matter of letting me." Wendy argued. "I'm needed. The matter is if you want to join us because I am one of these heroes Booling spoke about."

He nodded, understanding. "I don't like this at all, but what choice do I have? Just…promise you will be safe. And if something is wrong, let me know."

Wendy nodded. "Always, sweetheart."

"_Sweetheart?_" Mario asked alarmed and slightly terrified. "When did this happen?"

"Flipside." Rose answered.

"What?" Waluigi asked Mario. "You didn't think I would get a girlfriend?"

"No fight!" Luma shouted flying out of my hat. "Fight not nice. Fight mean. Be happy for Tall Purple Man and Nice Doctor Lady. Luma is." He looked around. "What do now?"

"That's a really good question, Luma." Rose answered.

"Gadd." I paged him. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." He answered.

"So we have Waluigi joining us. Did you get the info I sent you?"

"About the four heroes? Yes I did. I have done a little research. I found out something, but not to that particular subject."

"…what did you find?"

"Can Luma change into a Star, Planet or Galaxy?"

I didn't answer. I felt my face drain. Mario noticed my silence (and the lack of color in my face), and sent me a worried look. I walked out of the hall and entered the kitchen. When I told Gadd that Luma couldn't change, he proceeded to cheer.

"I have found out that I can make Luma able to change!" he cheered happily.

My heart sank. "Oh. Uhh…great."

"It will be a few days, lad. Bring the little guy over and I can run through the procedure with him when you have time. I know that the information Booling passed to you is very important, so don't worry yourself over the transformation."

"Will he have to go through a machine?" I asked worried.

"No; he has to drink a potion of sorts. When he was born, he was missing the important ability of being able to transform. The potion is that ability."

"Oh…"

"Something the matter?"

"No; everything's…fine."

"Alright, sonny. See you later!"

The call ended, and I was standing in the middle of the kitchen, stunned. I sank to my knees, and fought the urge to cry out. I was trembling when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I looked at Brian, and his face was full of concern and worry. I stood up, telling him that I would be alright. He didn't question me any further, but stayed next to me when I ended up breaking into a sob. He handed me a cloth, and I pressed it against my face as he soothed me.

"I hope this isn't your bandana." I whispered.

He chuckled. "No, it's not. Mario wanted me to tell you that we are going to head back to the dock and hunt for Booling for the next step we should take."

I nodded, thanking him.

"Luigi." I looked up at Brian. "Can you tell me?"

"Maybe later." I answered. "I don't know if it is actually going to happen."

"Keep it." He told me when I tried to hand him the bandana back. "It's yours."

"You didn't have to."

He shrugged. "Least I could do for what you did for me and Rosalina."

I nodded, and Brian left. I followed him, uncertain of the information Gadd gave me.


	4. Chapter 4

We all waited a few days to see if we could get any sort of lead. When nothing came up, I decided that the best thing to do was to try and go back to my normal life; no use having your guard up for so long that you are too tired when you actually need it. So, we all went our separate ways, but kept in contact.

Sitting in one position for a matter of minutes can get annoying because your body starts rebelling against the pressure. My legs were cramping, but I dared not move. I had to stay completely still, or my plan wouldn't work. A few more minutes passed, and a wicked smile fell on my lips as I saw Luma appear around the corner. In front of him was a cookie on a plate, sitting on the coffee table. He flew over to it, looked around, and decided to eat it. He picked it up and started munching away when I slammed a box on top of him, trapping him.

"Ah!" Luma cried.

"You fell for my trap again, little Luma." I role played as an evil villain.

"Heroes always win." He piped from under the box.

He could tell by my tone that I was playing with him.

"Not this time." I slid a piece of cardboard under the box so I could carry him without him flying away. Slowly, I walked up the stairs, trying not to give away my "master plan" too early. I think he got what was going on as soon as I got to the top of the stairs. "Luma." I broke character as he almost got out of the box. "It's really not that bad."

"No! Luma no wanna take bath!"

"Luma, you need to."

"Luma no need bath; Luma is a Luma."

"Luma is a dirty Luma." I argued.

I got into the bathroom, and locked the door behind me so he wouldn't get away. I released him from the box, and he flew to the opposite corner of the bathtub, glaring at me. He flew over to the door, but I blocked his path. I tried to catch him, but he dodged easily. We did this for a few minutes, and he stopped in front of the tub. I charged at him, determined to win this fight. He moved out of the way right as I got to him. I couldn't stop myself fast enough and I ended up falling into the bathtub face first, sending bubbles and water all over the place. As I emerged from the tub, I could hear Luma practically dying of laughter. I stood up, ringing out the water into the tub. He flew over to me, handing me a towel. Giving him a glare, I took it and dried my face. Still giggling, he left the bathroom.

"I take it he won?" Mario asked as he entered.

"I don't understand why he doesn't like to take baths." I answered.

"I can talk him into talking one."

"Could you?"

He left, calling Luma's name. I continued to dry off my face and decided that the best thing to do was remove my shirt so it would dry. As I peeled it off and hung it up over the towel rack, Luma came back in. He apologized to me, and got in. I talked to him softly as I rubbed soap on my hands and cleaned the little guy. Once in a while, he would laugh, saying it tickled him. The actual bath process was fairly painless, and he dried himself off as Mario handed me a dry shirt.

"Mama?" Luma asked.

"What is it, baby?" I responded kissing his head.

"Uncle Mar-Mar said Mama wanna talk to Luma." He piped. "About what Gadd told Mama."

My gut exploded and my heart hurt. Apparently the name "Gadd" was short enough for him to remember. I know what Mario was talking about; he wanted me to tell Luma about the potion. I sighed and left, telling Luma to wait there. I went into my room and changed pants (they got wet, too) before calling Luma in. Knowing that I was hurt about something, Luma flew up to me and sat on my lap. He looked up at me, waiting for me to talk. I closed my eyes, and a single tear rolled down my face.

"No cry, Mama." He soothed dabbing the tear away with his towel.

I broke there. More tears rolled down my face as I clenched my jaw. Luma kept clearing my tears and asking what was wrong. I opened my eyes, and he was crying.

"You don't need to cry, Luma" I whispered to him. "Mama will be okay, promise."

"Wrong?" Luma asked.

I sighed. "Well, it's still hard for me to handle, but you know when we went to Tall Purple Man's house the other day?"

"Pretty home."

"Well, when Mama had to leave the meeting to talk to Gadd, he told me something important." I felt the tears swelling in my eyes again, but I fought against them. "He told me that he found a way to fix you."

"...fix? Luma broken?"

I smiled, laughing lightly. "He found a way to turn you into a Star."

The silence was deafening. I didn't want to cry in front of him; I want him to decide for himself what he wanted. He looked at me.

"Luma gonna be Star?" he asked quietly in disbelief.

"If Luma wants to." I answered him. "Think about it for a little bit, okay?"

"Luma gonna be Star!" he cheered.

He flew out of my lap in happy glee. I made sure to make sure he was out of earshot before I locked the door. I leaned against it, breaking into sobs. They were soft at first, but soon they turned into bloody wails. I heard the door knock, and Mario came in after I allowed him to. I collapsed in his arms, making my sobs soft again.

"He's with Daisy right now." Mario informed me.

"I know he wants it…" I tried to calm down. "I know he wants it more than anything."

"Then when the time comes, be happy for him."

"How? How can I?" tears still fell.

"Luigi" Mario dried my face, "we all have to give up something."

"But he's my Star!" I wailed. "He's my Luma; my baby. I don't want him to change! I told him to think about it, but he has already made up his mind."

He held my hands. "Luigi, calm down, alright? Luma can probably hear you now." I tried to pull myself together, but it seemed to be going absolutely nowhere. "Everyone knows that Luma wants this. When you told me what Gadd said, I told the others; warning them that things might get hard for you. Peasley said that it would be hard for us all, and that he is sorry that he can't be there to help."

"Why did you tell him?"

"Wanted to keep him up to date. He loves the little guy, too."

I nodded. "Mario, is there any way I can persuade him?"

"I wouldn't try to. Let him do what he wants. Just make sure that you make these next few days' worth remembering for him. Show him the things that he needs to see. And make sure to fight the tears and put a genuine smile on for him when he transforms."

I nodded, drying my face from tears when the door opened. My guard was thrown for a loop when Luma flew in crying.

"Mama! Something bad happen!" he cried.

"What happened?" Mario asked.

"Nice Nurse Lady crying. Tall Purple Man helping her. Say Nice Doctor Lady gone!"


	5. Chapter 5

"And all the sudden, she disappeared!" Rose wailed.

Waluigi was holding the poor girl as she wept in pain. We were at the dock, and we were all listening to the story, Booling included. Rose and Wendy were walking through Toad Town, minding their own business. They decided to take a shortcut through the forested area to get home faster. Once Rose got out, she turned around and Wendy wasn't behind her.

"I went back through to try and find her," Rose continued to sob, "But I found nothing!"

"You shouldn't have gone back." Booling said quietly. "It sounds like King Boo is already working with the dark performer."

"Since we are all together," Mario proposed, "I think the best thing to do is to go back there and try to find any trace of her."

"We find sister." Luma soothed Rose.

"I contacted Prince Peasley." Brian spoke lightly. "He said he will keep his eyes open for any sign of King Boo or suspicious activity."

We went towards Toad Town (Booling stayed behind) and started looking once we got to the Hospital. We stayed near the property and close to each other in case someone else got taken. I searched near the edge of the wood, and cautiously pulled back the branches. The darkness of the forest was intimidating, but even then I could see something in the distance. Luma flew out of my hat and went in, taking it with him when I sat down to take a break. His light gave the area some color, but not much. From where I was sitting, I could see a black strip of fabric snagged on a branch. Luma went for it, and gently freed it. He flew back to me, placing the fabric in my hands. It felt soft to the touch, and the black fabric had a few holes in it, but no real tears. The scarf felt nice across my fingers. I walked back to the group, and directly went to Waluigi, who was looking down the alley. Luma got his attention, and I handed him the scarf.

"Where did you find this?" he asked after examining it for a second.

"Luma find it." He piped. "In bush."

"She wouldn't go anywhere without it." I heard the panic fill his voice. "She treasures it so much…I gave it to her as a gift after our first month of dating."

We gathered the rest of the crew and went through the area where we found the scarf. Everyone was grave silent; the fear was very intoxicating. Our footsteps were the only sounds we heard for a few long minutes. And then, we heard a sob. We all froze in place. I heard Brian slowly pull out his sword, ready for combat. Slowly, he went in front of us and sneaked through the path. I saw Rose's hair rise slightly, and the air got still. I decided to tap the flame within me as Luma hid back in my hat. Brian pushed a branch out of the way, and a clearing filled the view. In the center of the clearing was a figure. Rose stepped in front of Brian, but he stopped her. After a glance between them, he let her go. Slowly, she walked in the clearing towards the figure.

"Wendy…" she spoke softly. "Are you alright?"

"Alright? I feel great!" she turned quickly, and flashed a wicked smile.

She reached out to her, ice encompassing her hand. Brian got in between them, and the ice froze the blade to his hand. He hissed as Wendy laughed a wicked laugh. More ice covered the area, freezing everything in its reach. Brian pushed Rose out of the way before the ice touched them. Wendy was no longer in her normal attire; for some strange reason she was wearing a French maid outfit. Her eyes were no longer green, but a deep shade of red. I went to Brian and checked on his hand. Mentioning that I will look at it later, he nodded and we both dodged another blast of ice. Wendy's laugh was psychotic and cruel. Mario threw flames at her, but she deflected them with a shield of ice, and shot it at him. He dodged it with ease.

"All of you are weak!" her voice was suddenly no longer her own. "You stand no chance against him if you can't even hit me."

"Who are you?" Waluigi screamed, "Let her go!"

Dimly, the figure of a Boo floated above Wendy's head. It was extremely close to her. The tint of red scared me. I felt the tension around me suddenly increased and changed from offensive to defensive.

"Let my sister go!" Rose screamed.

"And why?" King Boo laughed in glee. "She's perfect for what we need."

He disappeared into Wendy again. She laughed and formed a beam of ice, shooting it at us. We all dodged, but the temperature was dropping quickly as the ice froze the area. Her laughter continued as she began to float in the air.

"Save your energy!" I shouted over the Ice Beam. "We won't live if we give it our all now!"

"But Wendy!" Rose countered.

"Luigi's right." Brian defended my stance. "We need to get out while we can! She's too strong!"

We started backing away from the ice storm, trying not to become frozen. Slowly, I managed to hide in the security of the trees before turning on my heel and sprinting. I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew the others were following. The flames that were keeping me warm turned to electricity, and I shot a bolt of energy at an incoming ice shard. We all scattered, trying to save ourselves.

I heard Wendy's laughter, and I picked up my speed. I hated how the only thing I could do was run. I dodged trees and jumped over stumps, but stopped dead when all the sudden she landed in front of me. A beam of ice hit my foot, and it encompassed it, freezing me to the ground. Luma took my hat and flew away; probably to go get help. I tried to pull free, but my foot wasn't budging. I tried to remove the ice by touching it, but it was too cold. I almost froze my fingers. I faced Wendy, and she laughed a wicked, vial laugh.

She raised her hand slowly, and a ball of wintery energy flowed freely through her fingers. Slowly, she approached me, and knelt down to my height. I tried to summon my lightning, but her bitter power not only froze my other foot to the ground, but my hands as well. Completely defenseless, all I could do was look at her. Slowly, the ice closed in on my face.

Before she could touch me, she was blasted off to the side with water. Relieved that Waluigi came, I tried to pull away to no avail. I watched the fight scene in front of me, and Mario rushed to my side. He blasted fire at me, and the ice instantly melted. Thanking him, I shot electricity at Waluigi, who jumped out of the way in time, making the power hit Wendy. She went flying back. It was hard to run since both my feet were still semi-frozen, so Mario literally slung me over his shoulder and booked it. Propping myself on my elbows, I continued to rain lightning in Wendy's general direction until all three of us were safely back in the Hospital.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wait a second," Peasley's voice crackled from a speaker, "So King Boo possessed Wendy, and has something big planned?"

"This is terrible!" Gadd's voice crackled as well.

In the basement of the hospital was a huge communicator system. We had contacted Peasley and Gadd so both of them could talk to us. Everyone but Brian and I were telling them what happened. I was busy trying to thaw out Brian's hand, and my feet were sitting in a bucket of hot water. I didn't want to blast it with heat like when Mario freed me; if I messed up, he could lose the use of his good hand. Lord knows that Rose would have my head if that happened. I threw in my comments here and there, but that was about it. Brian explained why his hand was frozen, and once in a while he would hiss in pain because I burned him.

"Isn't there an easier way to do this?" he asked.

"Cut off your hand." I answered as I took a break. "Either that or we risk roasting your hand if I blast the ice off. I'm only going slowly so we can get the blood flowing in it again."

"Last thing we need is to lose a few fingers." Peasley inserted into our conversation.

"Yeah…" Brian added as I started to warm up his hand.

They talked for a few minutes more, and Luma sat in between Brian and me, watching in interest. It literally felt like I was watching water boil in a pan; it seemed like it would take forever until the ice started to melt. Luma helped by chatting with us a little. He talked to Brian about how he was going to be a Star soon. Brian was happy for him, but advised that he wait a few days and think on if he really wanted to. Luma insisted that he was pretty certain that he wanted to be a Star; it was something that he had wanted ever since his friends had transformed. Brian nodded, understanding. He brought up the point to actually sit down and think about it, though; he explained that just because he had wanted it for a long time doesn't mean that it is the best thing to do. Luma nodded, thanking him for the advice. He closed his eyes, and I could tell that he was thinking. He sat like that for a few minutes as I managed to dislodge Brian's hand from his sword. He hissed in pain, but didn't fight back. I cloaked my thumbs with soft flames as I massaged his hand, trying to get the blood flowing in it again.

Finally, Brian could clench his hand into a fist, and I let him go. I stepped out of the bucket of water, and returned to the group. Poor Peasley had sleep etched into his face. Even though it is around 5pm here, it was probably like 11pm there; pretty late for a prince to be up. He yawned and drank from a coffee cup, blinking sleep from his eyes. He was very engaged in the conversation despite his lack of energy.

"Prince Peasley, why don't you go to bed?" Gadd asked.

"I am concerned." He answered taking another drink. "King Boo isn't the only thing bad that has happened the past few days."

"Fawful?" Mario asked afraid.

The Prince shook his head. "He is fine; won't be getting out anytime soon. There is just…weird stuff happening over here. They're not ghosts. Ghosts don't give people nightmares."

"I counter that statement." I spoke lightly.

There was a little laughter. Peasley was about to say something, but the lights dimmed slightly, causing both screens to flicker in the process. Thankfully, we didn't lose connection with them. A cold chill spread through everyone and the silence was deafening. Peasley broke it, suggesting that we come to Beanbean to talk. Once we agreed, he extended the invitation to Professor Gadd.

"I would be honored to, but I must stay here." he responded cutting off the conversation.

"Be careful." Peasley cautioned us. "I fear that Wendy will not back down on you on your way to the dock since she is beginning to act up now."

"Thanks, Peasley." Brian said. "Look for a ship named _SS Lily_."

He saluted and signed off. Luma flew over to me and sat on my shoulder.

"Not sure no more, Mama." He whispered to me.

"Well, Luma can take as long as Luma needs to." I kissed his head.

"What Mama want?"

"Don't ask me; it's your decision to make."

Slowly, we made some sort of a game plan and put it into action. Rose walked up the stairs, and told us that it was safe for now. The lights were turned off, and we all stepped outside. The temperature dropped dramatically as ice bathed the land. There was no snow and it was in the middle of August. A few seconds passed then Waluigi stepped outside. Rose followed him quietly, and then they broke into a sprint. A few more seconds passed, and Mario and Brian headed off. I counted to thirty in my head, and charged off into the bitter wind. Luma was secure in my hat. Instead of following everyone else to the dock, I turned a sharp right and went into Boo Woods. I leaped and tore through trees and stumps until I got to Gadd's place. I knocked three times, walking into the building. After explaining that I would be his escort out of the woods to Brian's ship, he politely denied, explaining that he wanted to work on the potion for Luma. Understanding this decision, I decided to head out, but I couldn't open the door.

Wendy was right there.

Gadd gestured to the corner of the lab, and there was a trapdoor. I managed to slip into it before the door flew off its hinges. Unfortunately, Wendy also found the trap door. I broke into a sprint. Trying to keep my nerves low, I set the path behind me on fire to try and slow her pursuit. I got the end of the tunnel and started to climb the ladder. I saw the light from the top fill the darkness, and I knew I was at the exit. Shooting one last flame, I climbed the ladder with all of my strength and speed and slammed the door shut. The door hit Wendy in the process. I sprinted through the Wood and arrived in the heart of the city. Although this was a much longer route, it seemed to be the only option. Luma lifted my hat and was my eyes in the back of my head. I saw the dock in the horizon when he warned me that she was approaching. I shot a green flame high in the air; telling the crew on the _Lily_ where I was. I shot another flame, telling them that I was being chased. As I got closer, I saw the boat jerk and start to sail off. Sensing little time, I picked up my pace. I was about to shoot a flame in the air again, but my arm began to glow. Knowing what this meant, I used all of my strength to run towards the dock. I didn't slow my speed as the edge approached. It felt like a slow motion moment when I jumped off the side; everything seemed to stop and the only thing I felt was my momentum. I landed hard on the deck of the boat and the other two fire elementals attacked Wendy. Rose used her wind power to make the boat move faster, and all the sudden we were out of the dock and into the open sea in less than minutes.

I collapsed on the ground, the faint glow dimming. Luma flew out and collapsed next to me. I rested a hand on him, and told him that he did a good job. I have no idea if he heard me or not for he fell asleep at the comfort of his Mama's touch. The speed died down, and I felt someone rest a hand on my shoulder. I got to my hands and knees, but they gave way. I fell into the person's arms. I looked up to see Rose holding me; a small smile was on her face. I thanked her, and she helped me sit up. I was propped against the main mast and Luma was fast asleep in my hat on my lap. She handed me a bottle of water, and I took a sip. I tapped Luma, and he glared at me because I woke him up. I offered him a drink, and he sat up a little. I took the bottle cap and filled it with water, giving it to him. He took one big gulp and asked politely (and sleepily) for more. I filled him another one, and he drank it. He handed it back, thanking me. I took another drink from the bottle and sealed it tight. He snuggled against me, falling asleep. I looked out into the dark sea, the moonlight very bright. We were floating silently on a piece of black glass. There was no motion on the water. I took a deep breath, starting to get my energy back. I looked out again, and something caught my eye. Wood. Debris. It was sprinkled across the water. Concerned and confused, I stood up (Rose took Luma) and walked over to Brian.

"It looks like remains of a sunken ship." Brian answered after I asked. "A trading ship. It concerns me a little, but not very much. Trading barges usually don't hold anything to my interest."

"What about survivors?" I asked panicked.

Brian shook his head. "By the way the debris is spread out; it looks like the destruction of the ship took place hours ago. No man would survive long floating out in this cold water unless he were clinging to a piece for the debris. Even then, it would be rare for him to live."

I nodded, and looked out at the sea again. I was surveying the destruction of the ship, a terrible pit forming in my stomach. A tint of red caught my eye, and I noticed that it was hair. It was a person… and they were breathing. I dashed off, grabbing one of those life preserver rings. Before anyone could object (or understand what was happening for that matter), I jumped off the side of the boat. I hit the water and all the air was knocked out of me. I heard commotion from the ship as I swam towards the person. Slowly, I touched his hand, and he looked up at me.

"Grab on." I commanded softly. "I can help you."

He nodded, and stumbled onto the ring. Before he could get a good grip, he slipped under the water. I sucked in air and dove into the black waters. We found each other's hands, and we clutched them as we both broke the surface. Somehow, between the two of us, I got the ring around him and I was hanging onto the side of it. I began to swim back to the _Lily_, and I noticed that it was sailing towards me. I raised one of my hands and let green flames cloak it, showing them where I was. One of the side boats was lowered into the sea, and Mario was in it. He helped me put the man in the little boat and he pulled me on. Giving each of us a blanket, I used my flame to warm the pirate. The small boat was pulled back up, and Waluigi helped me get him on deck. The man started coughing sea water and trembling from the cold. I saw red flames cloak him as well, and I knew Mario was trying to help him stay warm. Waluigi gathered the moisture from the air and placed clean water in a bowl, telling the pirate what it was. The poor man took the bowl and drank from it. Brian came down (apparently he taught Rose how to steer the boat), carrying a towel. There was an awkward moment of uncertainty when the man stopped drinking.

"Fiamo," Brian asked handing him the towel. "What happened?"

The pirate faced him. "I was on a mission." He spoke softly. "Brian…am I dead?"

"No, you're very much alive."

"Why the flames, then?"

"They are there to dry you off and keep you warm." Mario answered.

"Well, I am absolutely roasting."

The red flames disappeared, and before I could lift mine, he asked for those to stay. Red flames cloaked me, and I turned and thanked Mario. He nodded lightly.

"What kind of mission were you on?" Brian asked.

Fiamo closed his eyes, deep in thought. "I honestly have no idea. Syrup told me to sneak into the barge, and all the sudden it exploded."

Brian turned serious. "Is she upset?"

"About you? Why would she be? She got her money from the Shroobs; she didn't give a damn about her crew. I know you were attached to her, Brian; she was a mother figure to you. She was not a very good one, but one none the less."

"She is an attention whore. All she wanted was to get into guys emotional string and tear them to pieces."

My god…Brian has changed.

Fiamo shook his head. "As I stated years ago; us crewmates got to stick together through times of eventide and rough seas. I'm glad I am out, but I was afraid that the sea would be my grave." He faced me. "Until this beautiful man saved me."

…great; I get to deal with another gay man. I sighed, and Mario lost it.

"Fiamo, he has a girlfriend." Brian explained.

"Don't even mention a phase." I spoke.

Fiamo did a small flirtatious laugh. "And what If I do?"

"I'll remove my flames."

"Brian!" Rose shouted from the wheel, cutting off our little argument. "I can see Beanbean, but I have no idea how to park this thing."

Brian walked up to the wheel, and Rose met Fiamo. They spoke for a little bit, and Luma popped out of my hat (that Rose was carrying). He sent the pirate for a loop, startling him in the process.

"Hello!" Luma greeted. "Who?"

"Who? Who am I?" Luma nodded. "My name is Fiamo."

"Mr. Red Head Pirate." Luma piped. "Luma is Luma."

"Know that, to him, you will be Mr. Red Head Pirate." Rose cautioned.

When we arrived at the dock, the clouds were drawing close and a bitter wind touched my skin. The silhouette of Beanbean Castle filled my vision, and for some reason I felt a wave of safety envelop me. Luma sat on my shoulder, and asked if we were going to see Mr. Princely Bean Man. I told him that we were, and smiled at his happiness. He was excited to tell him about the offer.

"Wait a second, Luma." He faced me. "What offer?"

"Luma being Star." He piped. "Luma not sure no more. Gonna think and ask Mr. Princely Bean Man."

I felt myself smile. "It's a good thing you want to think about it." I answered as he flew off my shoulder and asked politely for a hug. I held him close to my heart, kissing the top of his head. "Mama love Luma."

"Luma love Mama."


	7. Chapter 7

We got off the _Lily_ one by one. Against my strong distaste, I had to carry Fiamo because he was too weak to stand on his own. I didn't mind carrying the poor lad; that wasn't the issue at all. Thankfully, he was too tired to try and flirt with me, so everything was alright. Luma sat on my head, and told him about Daisy. He even managed to pull out the locket I was wearing and open it. Even though it was the smallest picture I owned of the fair Princess of Sarasaland, it is one of my favorite pictures of her. Her soft smile lit up the entire locket, and I felt my heart tug at the thought of her being left behind. We walked into the heart of the city, and it was the first time I had seen the streets dead. Well, that's kind of a lie; I saw it like this when Cackletta attacked. It was very late as we walked through the brisk cold air. The guards eyed us in concern, but continued on their way. One of them started to follow us when he realized that we were headed towards the castle. I got Luma's attention, and he looked at me in concern.

"Can you do Mama a favor?" I asked. He nodded. "In my breast pocket is a rose; a yellow rose. Can you grab it for me?"

He hovered in front of me, and disappeared within my coat. I felt his little hands searching, and he came out a few seconds later carrying the rose.

"Why do you have a yellow rose?" Fiamo asked.

"Hold on to it for me." I instructed Luma, purposely avoiding Fiamo's question.

"Kay." He piped.

"Once we get to the entrance of the castle, I need you to show the rose to the guards. If they don't see it, we could be in big trouble. Tell them that we seek audience with Mr. Princely Bean Man. One thing: call him Prince Peasley."

"Why?"

"The guards don't know him as Mr. Princely Bean Man; they know him as Prince Peasley. Can Luma do this for me?"

He nodded, and sat on my shoulder. We approached the bridge of the Castle, and I told everyone to wait. They looked at me, confused and Mario asked why. I told Luma to go, and he flew to the palace guards. We followed quietly, but stopped a few feet away from Luma, who was showing the rose to them.

"Luma, Mama and friends would like audience of Peasley." He piped fighting his fear.

"And why do you and your friends want to see him, little Luma?" the guard asked.

"Prince asked Mama to come. Mama is Luigi. Seek help."

"One moment, please."

The guard walked into the palace, and the other called us up. Luma sat on my shoulder, and his little body was trembling in fear. I nuzzled against him, whispering that he did a good job. The guard reappeared, and Peasley was rubbing sleep out of his eyes. His face lit up in happiness, and the old habit came back. I squeezed my eyes shut and even turned Fiamo's head away from the blinding light.

"Bright." Luma complained.

"I'm sorry." Peasley yawned. "Come on in."

"Give me a minute." I interrupted. "I can't see."

I blinked a few times, and finally got my vision back. As we were walking through the castle, I could hear Brian explain why I was carrying a man. Fiamo stirred in my arms, and I noticed then that he was asleep. We walked into the Conference Room, and I told Mario. We chatted for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do with the sleeping pirate. Peasley approached us, and suggested that we wake him. Mario countered by explaining that he needed the rest because he had almost drowned. He walked over to me, and gently shook Fiamo to wake him up (awesome listening skills, Peasley). When he opened his eyes, he grunted in distaste of being awoken.

"No use trying to fight me." Peasley whispered. "You're Fiamo, right?" He nodded, closing his eyes. Peasley shook him again. "Listen to me. Luigi is going to take you to the medical assistants here in the Castle."

"Will he stay?" he asked softly his face draining.

"If it will make you more comfortable I will." I answered.

"I want them to take a look at you. I was informed that you were floating in the Blooper Ocean for hours. Those waters can be dangerous; I just want to make sure you won't die on us."

Fiamo nodded slowly, fighting sleep. Peasley and I walked him to the head doctor, and her eyes grew wide at the state he was in. She ushered us quietly into the operation room. Once he saw the hospital bed, Fiamo tried to break free from my arms. He was too weak, however, and I set him down on the medical bed. He clung to my arm, fear apparent in his eyes.

"I'm staying with you." I reassured. "Let go, please…or at least loosen your grip."

"Don't leave…" he started crying.

I eyed him in concerned. He looked so lost…I sat down next to him, and he leaned against me trying not to burst into tears. I asked Peasley to get Brian for me, but Fiamo proceeded to give in to his tears as the doctor walked in. He buried his face against my arm and tried not to sob out loud.

"Listen to me, Fiamo." I whispered. "The doctor won't hurt you. I promise. She's a nice girl. Don't be scared."

"I have every right to be terrified!" he shouted at me. "I'm sorry for shouting…"

An idea came into my head. "Fiamo, would it be more helpful if you met a nurse; one that I know personally? She's really nice, and I can even ask her to wear her normal outfit."

He nodded slowly, and Peasley knew where I was going with this. He asked the doctor to stay in the room, and the prince left. Fiamo managed to let go of my arm, and he was holding my hand, trying not to cry out of fear. We spoke softly, and I was telling him more about Rose. He asked a lot of questions and was afraid of the answer I would give. Some of them I said that I had no idea and that he would have to ask her for the answer. The main door opened slowly, and Rose walked in. She had changed into a different top (different shade of blue) and was carrying a black bag. Showing my confusion, she laughed lightly and approached. She held her hand out and introduced herself to Fiamo. They spoke for a few minutes until he was comfortable. Well...until she pulled out the stethoscope. Rose put it away slowly.

"Can you tell me exactly why you are scared?" she asked softly.

I knew she was treating him like a little boy because of the tone she was using. Her eyes read that sense of forced patience. It was something Wendy was always better at than she was.

"Just…everything." He spoke after a few minutes.

Rose pulled out the stethoscope again, showing it to him. Gently, she explained what it was, and what it did. I smiled, knowing what she was doing. It reminded me of when I took Luma to a check-up; he was scared, and the doctor let Luma see how everything worked. Slowly, I let go of Fiamo and he looked at me in fear as I fixed my posture. Rose walked over to me. She put medical gloves on, and placed the device on my chest.

"Deep breaths." Rose spoke. "No chest breathing."

I closed my eyes and focused on breathing slowly and deeply. The metal was freezing against my skin, and a cold chill went through me. I mentioned that it was cold, and Rose laughed lightly. After she got done, she turned to Fiamo. He nodded slowly, and closed his eyes.

"All I am going to do is listen to your breathing." Rose explained softly. "I need you to breathe through your chest. With Luigi, I was listening to his heart. I am going to listen to your lungs for irregular air flow."

He nodded, and held my hand tight.

"Breath slowly, or I won't be able to hear clearly."

He nodded again, slowing his breathing. He squeezed my hand tighter as the metal touched his skin. I spoke encouraging words, reminding him to breathe slowly. A few minutes passed, and I saw Rose frown.

"Fiamo, look at me." He opened his eyes and looked at Rose. "Your breathing seems a little weird. I just want to keep an eye on it for a few days. The cold water has affected it, and it could lead to worse things."

"Will I die?" he asked suddenly.

The question threw both of us for a loop. By the way he was looking at her; I knew that he was being serious. She closed her eyes.

"I really hate to say this, but there is a chance." She faced him, and his face was filled with pure terror. "That's why I want to keep track on your breathing. It's a very small chance, but I am not a woman who takes risks. Are you alright with taking shots?"

"If I need it." He answered honestly.

"There might be one in the future. All you need to worry about is having a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables while drinking plenty of clean water and getting a lot of rest. I'll take care of you; I promise."


	8. Chapter 8

After Rose looked at Fiamo, the group decided that it was probably best if we all had a good night's sleep before taking on King Boo. I walked into the room Daisy and I had stayed in last we were here, and the room was still arranged as it was. I yawned softly and sat on the edge of my bed. Luma flew out of my hat, asking for bedtime story. I smiled and told him to get into his sleep clothes before story time. He flew off into to the restroom, and came back, wearing a little light blue nightgown and matching sleep cap. He turned to me, and complained that the bedtime story couldn't be told if I were wearing day clothes. I laughed lightly, and grabbed my navy blue ones I had left here by accident. Walking into the restroom to change, I heard the bedroom door open. I stood still for a moment, and realized it was Fiamo and Brian. They were speaking softly to one another as I got changed. When I came out, Luma gave me a hug, and I kissed him on the head. Brian waved to me, and I noticed that his grey and black shirt was gone. He was wearing a pair of slacks and his white, long-sleeved undershirt. His bandana was nowhere to be seen and his platinum blond hair was messy and all over the place. Fiamo was wearing a black wife beater and black slacks. His red hair was no longer spiked; it was wet and lying in his eyes.

"Did you come to crash the bedtime story?" I asked softly.

Brian shook his head. "I'll leave that to you. Fiamo and I were talking, and wanted to know if he could stay in the same room as you."

"Sure. I don't mind."

"Story." Luma demanded.

"Well, it sounds like I am interrupting Luma's story time, so I will leave you three for the night. Thank you again, Luigi." Brian said.

He left, and Fiamo looked around in confusion, peeling his hair back and out of his eyes. I saw the sadness in them. Luma sat down on my shoulder, asking for the story again. I tucked him in the little box bed he had, and balanced it on my lap. After asking what story he wanted to hear, Luma said that I could tell any story that I wanted to, but it had to be a good story. I closed my eyes, thinking deeply. Fiamo sat next to me, and looked at Luma in the box.

"Have you heard the story of the Rainbow Castle?" he asked Luma.

When he piped 'no', Fiamo smiled.

"There once was a castle in the sky." Fiamo started. "It sat on the clouds and it was so tall that it could touch the stars. Every one hundred years, a rainbow comes from the castle and cascades the pretty colors onto the earth below."

"There was a handsome prince who lived in this castle." I picked up. "He was very lonely up there all alone in his castle on the clouds. He hoped that one day someone would find that they could use the rainbow as a path to the castle and come and visit him."

"The only friend that he had was a star named Bip. He was a very tiny Star, and he would keep the prince company by singing little songs and doing little dances. The Prince and Bip would talk for hours and hours. When Bip saw that something was bothering him, he asked the Prince if something was wrong."

"The prince didn't want Bip to worry about him so he would always tell the star he was fine and not to worry. The star did worry however. Bip was smarter than the prince gave him credit for and he knew that his company wasn't enough. The star knew that the prince needed a more human friend as well. Bip decided that once the prince fell asleep that night, he would fall to the earth below as a shooting star to find his friend someone new to keep his company."

"So that night," he continued, "he flew down the tower and safely got to the ground. The grass tickled his little feet as he flew across the ground, looking for a friend for the Prince. The area around Bip was dark, and very scary. He often thought about the Prince and how lonely he must be, so Bip braved the night. He soon came to a clearing and found a girl. He flew up to her, and noticed that she was crying."

"Wondering what was wrong, Bip flew up to the girl. Through her tears she saw the star. She was a bit taken aback, explaining that the kingdom hadn't seen stars like him in centuries. Bip asked the girl why she was crying. Between small sobs, the girl told him of how she was a princess and that an evil wizard had taken over her family's kingdom. Her parents and all who allied with them had been locked in the castle dungeon. She had been the only one to escape. Seeing as how she was a princess, the wizard didn't chase her considering her not much of a threat. No one would believe her if she told them about this as she was quite young. She hoped to free everyone from the dungeon, but she knew that she would need all the help she could get. Bip sang lightly to calm the girl down, letting his light shine upon her face warming her tear soaked cheeks. He said he knew a prince who would believe the girl and that she should follow him to the castle. The princess agreed saying she had nowhere else to go and the forest was a dangerous place at this time of night."

"Poor Princess…" Luma piped sleepily.

"Bip and the Princess decided to go deep into the forest, in case any bad guys were looking for them." I carried on. "In the forest, they came across a stone block. Bip sang to the rock, and the most beautiful rainbow went from the stone to the tower. Bip explained that the rainbow was a bridge to where the prince lived. A little scared, the princess followed the star up the bridge. Once they got there, the prince was awake and crying. He thought that he had lost Bip forever. The star explained that he had left on a journey to find a new friend for him, and introduced the princess to the prince."

"The princess curtsied and began to explain her predicament. The prince bowed saying he would help her. Having no army and no desire to wage war on a kingdom he didn't even know existed until moments ago, the prince hoped the wizard could be reasoned with."

"So all three of them went down the rainbow and walked to the castle where the princess lived. The guards were watching the trio at every turn!"

"Spooky." Luma yawned.

"Once they got to the castle doors," I spoke softly, "they were greeted by the wizard. He was old, scary, and had a long, white beard. The prince walked up to the wizard slowly and introduced himself, and asked if they could make a deal. The old man said nothing, and watched the prince with his yellow eyes. His voice trembled as he spoke about the Rainbow Castle, saying that it was filled with gold. The wizard quickly agreed that he would give the castle back for the one the Prince lived in. So, the prince, Bip and the wizard all walked back to the Rainbow Castle. The old wizard walked up the rainbow bridge. Just as he got into the castle, the prince destroyed the rock so that the wizard could not come back. The prince returned to the princess's castle, and lived happily ever after."

I looked down at Luma, and he was fast asleep in his box. I kissed him lightly and set him on the bed next to me. Fiamo said good night and went back to his own bed. I stretched out on my own bed, and felt tears swell. I closed my eyes, trying to fight against them. I turned away from Fiamo and curled into a ball. I took slow deep breaths, trying not disturb him (is he asleep already?). I opened my eyes, and my vision was blurred with tears. I finally got up and walked into the restroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and almost broke there. Slowly I turned on the water and splashed it on my face a few times. A towel was handed to me, and I noticed that it was Fiamo.

"I'm sorry." I whimpered.

"Care to talk?" he whispered.

I shook my head. "There is nothing you can do about it. There is nothing anyone can do about it at this point…"

I lost myself in the fight to not cry out loud. Fiamo draped his hand across my shoulders, and I was too upset to deny it. He walked me out of the room and into the Conference Room. He handed me my handkerchief, and I buried my face into it, giving my crying a voice. I have no idea how long I had been crying, but when I looked up again, Fiamo was resting his hand on my knee, trying to calm me down. I sniffed, and explained to him that I missed Daisy. Slowly, he handed me a pink rose.

"If you are hitting on me, I won't take it." I whispered.

"No, take it." Fiamo said offering it to me again. Slowly, I held onto it. "Imagine that this flower is the symbol of the relationship you hold with Princess Daisy. See how it is fragile and looks like it is about to break?"

I nodded slowly. He took the rose away and handed me a different one; this one was in full bloom and red.

"It is still fragile, but it is elegant. This is your heart." Suddenly he clapped the bud, not only startling me but destroying the flower all together. "This is your heart now. It is weighed down with worry and fear for the one you love. You must believe and trust that she will be alright or this will happen." He proceeded to pull the petals off one by one, waiting for each one to hit the floor before pulling another. "It will slowly decay until it is a pile of misery on the floor. Once it is there, it is not possible to rebuild the rose that you and Daisy have made together. Try to keep the rose in full bloom so that hers can stay as well. If, however, hers is in a messy pile on the floor, gently pick up each petal one by one, and love them as much as they were when they were the flower."

I nodded, trying to calm down. He gathered the petals and stem, and placed them in the trash bin. He ushered me out of the room and made sure I got into my own bed before he went into his.

"You know, Fiamo." I spoke lightly. "You're a pretty nice guy for a pirate."

"Thanks…I think." He responded after a few minutes.

I turned out the end table light, and closed my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was still dark in the room. Confused and still tired, I sat up and read the clock on the wall, which read about 4am. Frustrated, I stood up and wandered over to the restroom. My hand rested on the door handle when I heard a sound. I stayed still and the sound came again. Footsteps. I waited for a few minutes then quietly crept towards the bedroom door. I slowly and silently opened it and saw a shadow turning the corner. I followed quietly and stealthily behind the person. The black cloak he was wearing whipped the corner when he turned again. Seeing a flash of silver, I knew things were about to get serious. I continued following, and noticed that the man was picking the lock to Peasley's bedroom. I got in arm's reach before he opened the door and walked in. I stood by the door, uncertain what to do. When I saw that flash of silver again, I realized in horror that it was a blade. I felt the panic fill me as he got closer to the bed where Peasley was sleeping peacefully. Knowing that I had to do something, I formed a small ball of fire in my hand. The bed drapes were pulled back, and the silver was shown again. Before anything else happened, I screamed at the top of my lungs as I threw the fireball towards the murderer's direction.

Peasley bolted upright and dodged my fireball as it slammed into the guy's arm. The blade he was holding fell from his grip, and the prince rolled off the other side of the bed, sliding under it to greet me. We both charged out of the room, the cloaked man hot on our trail. I could tell that Peasley was still fighting sleep, so I literally threw him over my shoulder as I turned a sharp corner. In the process, I accidently broke one of the vases on display in the hall. It crashed to the floor, alerting the people who were nearby. I reached the stairs and instead of running down them, I slid down the handrail. Once I hit the floor, I set the disoriented prince back on the ground. The man jumped the entire set of stairs and landed in front of us.

"It's cute how your boyfriend came to rescue you, my lord." He haunting voice spoke behind the shade of his hood.

"He's straight." Peasley responded. "He's my guardian."

Wait…I'm his guardian? Better than his boyfriend I guess.

The man laughed as he charged for him. I used my fire to block his path and gave Peasley an opportunity to grab his sword. The man laughed again as darkness cloaked his hands. The power broke through my barrier and hit me square in the face. I went flying back, but managed to catch myself. I stood up and powered up again. He charged at me again, and I jumped out of the way when all the sudden an arrow stuck itself into his shoulder. The arrow was green and the end of it was a red rose. Another came, and the man dodged that one with ease. I grabbed the arrow that was dodged, and held it in my hand as the man charged towards the stairs. Fiamo jumped off the handrail, shooting two more at him. He joined me and Peasley on the floor.

"I alerted the others." He spoke grave as I handed him the arrow. "All of the guards are asleep; probably a gas of sorts."

I nodded as a wave of wind knocked the enemy flat on his ass. The flames that were in my hands turned into electricity, and I shot it at the wind. A loud _crack_ echoed through the chamber as the lightning hit its target. Rose used her power to gently send Brian and Mario on the ground while she and Waluigi ran down the stairs.

"Who are you?" Peasley shouted. "And what do you want?"

The man stood up, and bowed graciously. "My lord," he greeted. "I am a minion of the darkness."

"Do not mock me!"

"Mocking? I am not mocking; I am showing respect. It is you who should watch your tone, sire."

"You tried to murder him." I spoke. "What is your name?"

He faced me. "Ah, the gay guardian speaks." I rolled my eyes. "Why are names important?"

"So we don't call you smart-ass or other profanities when we address you." Brian hissed.

The man laughed. "Well, if you must call me something, call me Mr. E."

"Interesting name." Mario spoke. "Why are you after Peasley?"

He faced Mario. "He has…information."

Fiamo jumped in front Peasley. "I'm not afraid of you!"

He faced the pirate, and darkness cloaked his hand. "Are you sure?"

Brian jumped into the mix. "Neither am I! You, sir, are dealing with the other guardians of Prince Peasley, the ruthless pirates from the _SS Teacup_."

"Oh, I'm so scared." He mocked. His power grew in size. "Have at you!"

The dark power encompassed the trio in a circle, preventing them from escaping. All three had their weapons drawn as Mr. E entered the darkness with them. Rose slammed her fists on the ground, causing an updraft of wind from under their feet. Mr. E was sent flying across the castle lobby while the other three landed with ease next to us. Mario threw flames at him; trying anything he could to prevent the enemy from coming.

"Peasley!" I shouted over the flames. "What information do you have?"

"Not now, Luigi!" he responded.

"You need to say it, or he won't leave us alone."

The prince sighed as we dodged darkness. "It seems it is already happening. There is an ancient legend that was passed down through my family for generations. In a small nutshell, a revival will occur, and the first sign of the revival was that ice would bathe the land."

Mr. E shouted in anger and frustration, knowing very well what Peasley was doing. We both sprinted out of the room and into the Throne Room. While we were both blocking the door, Peasley spilled the entire legend to me in one breath, giving me only the basic information. The door shattered, and we were both sent flying back. Before I could move, Mr. E had Peasley pinned to the floor. The flash of silver came again, and I realized in panic that I couldn't move; the darkness was holding me to the ground. I tried to pull free; I fought with everything I had, but it wouldn't budge. I watched as Mr. E pulled out the blade.

Two well-aimed arrows hit his hand as well as his face. He hissed in pain as the darkness released me and Peasley threw the man off of him.

"Not too shabby." He laughed as blood dripped from his hand. "Looks like I will let you go this time. Congratulations on passing my test." He disappeared within his own shadows.

"Does anyone need medical attention?" Rose went into her nurse mode. "Peasley, I want to check on you if you don't mind."

"Go on ahead." He answered sitting up and hissing in pain. "I hope I don't have any broken bones."

"Luma got scared." He piped softly flying into my arms. "Woke up, and no Mama."

"Hey, Mario," I addressed my brother. "Did you hear what he said?"

"Mr. E? He spoke quite a lot tonight…well, this morning, rather. Why?"

"He said something that scared me."

"He said a lot of things that scared me." Waluigi entered out conversation. "Killing the prince is serious."

"Not that, Waluigi." I sighed. "He said 'Have at you'."

Mario's face turned from concern to scared understanding.

"Peasley." I turned to him. "Please explain the legend."


	9. Chapter 9

There was a story told in Beanbean Kingdom a long time ago. As the years came and went, the people only believed that it was a legend and no longer real; a kids story. When the world was in its baby stages of being upheld by life, it was an icy terrain. It was so cold that no living being could withstand the cold for very long. It was common to see bodies of humans, beans, Koopas and any other living being frozen in place as they were walking or drinking from the waterhole. In the heart of the ice lived a monster. This monster was deadly not only for its lust for blood, but for its ability to withstand the terrible ice.

He was wicked and cruel to the beings of the world. He would go out of his way and freeze them if the ice didn't do its job. Everyone was scared of this monster; no one had the strength to slay him. The only thing they could do is pray to their gods to give them relief of the ice and snow. They prayed for years and years, but no help came. Then, one day, four travelers stumbled across the area where the monster lived. Two women and two men walked through the ice and snow, making their way towards the monster's lair. Once they were there, each person used their power to seal the monster away into the Underwhere. The four heroes disappeared into the night, never seen again. The ice thawed and spring came. Winter was never as terrible as it was before the monster was sealed away. The end of the legend explained that if the ancient seal was touched by darkness and ice, the monster would break free and set the world into icy chaos once again.

"Scary." Luma spoke after the legend was told.

"Where in the world do we even begin looking for this ancient seal?" Fiamo asked.

Peasley scanned through ancient scroll after ancient scroll, looking for answers. They were very fragile and looked like it would crumble to dust and a feather drop.

"The legend is so old that no one really knows." Peasley answered still reading. "It seems that no one bothered to write down where it was located."

"Luma think know who ask." Luma spoke softly.

"_Who_? Luma, everyone who lived in that era is long passed away."

I stood up and walked out of the basement where the scrolls were kept and into the lobby. Luma sat on my head and directed me on where to go. Thankfully, he was a smart guy and directed us to the coat closet first. I grabbed my winter coat and put it on as Luma grabbed his. After I got done, I dressed him up for the cold weather. He was wearing a little red and white scarf and a tiny hat. We walked outside, and Luma was wedged in between my chest and my coat, looking at the world in the warmth of my coat. His little voice would pip 'left' or 'right' depending on what direction he needed me to go. After a few minutes, I showed Luma my confusion when we arrived at Brian's ship. Luma flew out of my coat, pulling me by my pointer finger to follow him. We got on deck, and entered the Captain's Room. I closed the door behind me, and Luma drew the curtains closed.

"Mr. Ghost." Luma called out. "Luma need Mr. Ghost."

"Booling?" I asked.

"I am here." He appeared in front of Luma, startling to little guy. "How can I help you?"

"Luma have question." He piped. "Legend. Booling know?"

"What legend?"

"Ice Monster." The Boo closed his eyes in deep thought. "World covered in ice. Heroes seal monster away."

"The old Beanbean Legend?" he asked confused.

Luma nodded. "Dead now. Alive then?"

I snorted, trying to hide a laugh. Booling glared at me, but ended up laughing as well.

"I was. Why?"

Luma suddenly got really excited. "Mr. Ghost know! Mr. Ghost, where seal? Where monster sleep?"

The mood changed from happiness to deathly serious. "Why do you need to know?"

"Luma think King Ghost wanna revive monster. Possess Nice Doctor Lady. Ice power. Darkness also need to open seal. Mr. E has darkness. Tried to kill Princely Bean Man so he no tell legend. Saw darkness. Wanna stop seal being opened by bad."

Booling closed his eyes again. "I would feel better if the word didn't get spread."

Throwing the two of them off (and almost making Booling vanish), I pulled put my phone.

_Come to Brian's ship._ I texted everyone. _Luma figured it out._

I leaned against the wall, waiting patiently for the crew to arrive. It was a few minutes, but Waluigi was the first one on board, out of breath.

"We got caught." He breathed heavily. "Mr. E…has everyone else. He said that he will release them if the ghost stays silent."

"We have to do something, though." I sighed.

"Why does he want the others so bad?" Booling asked.

"He's trying to prevent us from stopping the revival." Waluigi explained.

"Why all?" Luma piped.

I shrugged.

Suddenly Mario stumbled in the door. He was about in tears. Though desperate gasps of air, he explained that Fiamo got the others free, but he and Peasley were still trapped. Brian and Rose came in as well.

"I don't have a choice." Booling spoke. "And I fear that this will put you in more danger than help." Rose closed the door so we could see him. "Mr. E isn't the real threat here. Neither is Wendy."

"The dark performer." Brian spoke. "Who is he?"

Booling sighed. "I can only say his name once then you guys have to figure out what to do right after. If you stay here, he will appear and destroy you."

"Is the monster the dark performer?" Rose asked.

Booling shook his head. "Only one of you had personal contact with him."

"I would advise you stop there." E's voice echoed through the door. "Or worse could happen to your friends."

The door burst open, and he walked in slowly. His hood was down, and one icy blue eye scanned the room; the other was hidden in his raven black hair. His hands were cloaked with his dark powers.

"I am not afraid of you!" Booling shouted.

"Neither am I." He answered. "It really all depends with you, O Ancient Hero."

Booling faded into the light as E entered slowly. He withdrew his blade, and Brian drew his.

"What did you do with them?" Rose asked.

He laughed an evil laugh. "Why, I sent both of them to their demise."

Brian wasted absolutely no time. He gave a battle cry, and charged.

"Luigi…" Booling's voice whispered to me. "Stay silent and only listen. You must get back to the Mushroom Kingdom at all costs. You can bring someone if you want, but the crew has to be split. The performer is doing his part there. E is only distracting you."

"It's there?" I asked softly.

"Go, before E figures out what I said."

Knowing that something terrible was about to happen, I managed to get out of the ship and sprinted off the deck. Beanbean was covered in a thin layer of ice, and dread filled me as I saw Wendy waiting for me at the edge of the dock. She was no longer in the French maid outfit; now she was in a purple bunny girl outfit. Her hair was down, and her glasses were missing as well. There was a black shadow around both her eyes and was flashing a nasty grin at me as I approached her.

"And where are you going, Mr. Lime-Green?" she asked standing.

"None of your business." I answered. "And put some clothes on; you look like Princess Peach."

Luma snickered in my hat.

"I don't think you will be going anywhere." She hissed as ice formed in her hand. "Be a good boy and stay."

"Sorry, I haven't gone to obedience school." I started to walk away, but she cut me off. "Why don't we walk and talk?"

"Okay…" she was confused and she diminished her power. We started walking towards the palace.

"So…why the outfit?" I asked.

"I thought I looked sexy in this ensemble." She did a dangerous laugh. "Besides, wouldn't Waluigi want to see me in this?"

"No. He likes his girls classy, not slutty."

Seizing the opportunity, I punched her straight in the nose and booked it. I heard her scream of rage and blast of cold air as she chased me. I turned a sharp corner, and dodged her ice with ease. Reaching the warp pipe, I waved her good-bye as I jumped in. She sent ice after me, so I put a force field of fire behind me. I was flying through the pipe for a few minutes and all the sudden I defied gravity as I exited the pipe into the Mushroom Kingdom. I landed on my feet, sticking the land. Luma flew out of my hat, and showed me an index card with the number 9 on it. I laughed as I braced myself for the cold.

The city was completely deserted. Luma hid in my hat again, but quickly changed his mind as it was too cold. He was now in the area between coat and shirt, trying to stay warm. Ice was draped over anything and everything imaginable. I was wandering around the heart of the city near the fountain when I heard a voice. I stopped, and waited for the voice again. It came, clear as a bell on Christmas Night. It was calling my name. I turned, and saw Waluigi chasing after me.

"Decided to come along?" I asked.

"I got out of the fight." He answered.

"Rose and Brian…?" He shook his head. I watched as tears slightly filled his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Wendy." He responded. "What in the world is he doing to her? And what the hell did he put her in?" He was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, we can't do this now. I hate to be cold and evil to you, but we have other things to worry about…like not freezing to death."

He nodded, apologizing. We continued on quietly. Luma had moved from my coat to his, and was trying his best to dry his tears. Suddenly, Waluigi stopped me.

"Ahaha…he comes…he comes…" a voice eerily echoed off the ice.

I nodded, and we slowly walked forward, following the voice. I took a risk and called Peasley, knowing that he and Fiamo were still in some hot water. The dial tone sounded for a few minutes, but he finally answered.

"Luigi…" he whispered.

"How are you doing?" I asked concerned.

"Better than I was." He answered softly. "I'm not bleeding."

"I'll let you go, then."

"No, you called for a reason."

"Come closer…no use hiding from me…" the voice echoed again.

"Is that why you called?" Peasley asked.

"I have no idea who it is. I am going to tell you as soon as I see him. Could you communicate to the others?"

"I can try…"

"Rest, Peasley." I heard Fiamo speak. "I'll listen in."

"Hang in there, Peasley." I spoke as he took the phone.

"I'm scared for him." He whispered.

"We'll get him help as soon as we can." I answered. "Mr. E has the others busy, and Waluigi and I escaped to the MK."

We continued to walk through the ice and snow until we got to the clearing. In the middle of this clearing looked like a pulsating, green bulb. It had been badly damaged from the ice and snow, but it looked like it was attacked by something else. I approached the bulb, and the eerie voice came again. It was a laugh. Waluigi spun around, and I watched his eyes grow in fear. I turned slightly and felt myself panic.

"How?" I spoke utterly frightened. "I…I thought we defeated you."

"Did you think you soundly defeated me?" he mocked back. "Look at me…or are you ashamed to?"

"Say his name, damn it." Fiamo hissed.

"No…no…" Panic filled me. "No…"

"You are too shocked to even acknowledge me by name? Well, fairly normal." He spoke.

"Damn it, Luigi!" Fiamo was screaming at me.

"…Dimentio." I whispered in horror.

"Shit." Peasley spoke.

The call ended, and all I could do was stare in fear and horror as he laughed his sing-song laugh.

"I can tell you have missed me dearly, Mr. L." he spoke to me.

"He is dead." Waluigi hissed. "L no longer exists within him."

His psychotic laugh terrified me and sent chills through Waluigi. "Are you sure he is dead? He is a part of you; he always has been. Soon, he will crawl out of the womb."

I looked at him straight in the eye. "That already happened." I showed him the scar to prove it. "He's dead, Dimentio."

That evil smirk faded. Before he could make a snappy comeback, I threw fire at him, but he dodged it with ease. He didn't reappear, but his voice lingered, saying that there is no stopping the revival of the monster. Then he was gone altogether. I was terrified, cold, and miserable. A horrible sick feeling was in my stomach and all I wanted to do was cough up the bile that was forming in my throat and lie down. I felt extremely dizzy, and I ended up catching myself on the green bulb. I looked at it, and realized that it was made of vines.

Wait…vines.

A wave of fear and despair filled me as I cloaked my hands with flames. I tore at the vines, trying to break open the bulb Waluigi followed suit, not really understanding what was going on. Once we broke through, I encompassed the interior of it with my flames, not only lighting up the darkness but warming up the person who was hiding. She looked up at me, and her eyes swelled with tears. I held her in my arms, cloaking those with flames as well. My nerves and fears melted away in the flames and the comfort of holding her again.

"It's alright now." I soothed.

"I thought you wouldn't come back." Daisy spoke softly.

I kissed her for a few seconds. "Hush. Just try to stay warm."

She clung to me. I pushed her away slightly, unzipping my coat. I gave it to her, but she put it back on me. Waluigi used his flames to warm her.

"Do the others know?" she asked.

"About Dimentio? Yes, they do now." Waluigi answered. "Some of them were on the phone when we met him."

She nodded. We decided the best thing to do is try to get a coat for her. The closest place for us to go without the risk of Dimentio following us was back at Waluigi's place. We trudged through the ice and snow and eventually got there. Between the both of us, Waluigi and I melted the lock and entered the cold and dark house.


	10. Chapter 10

So we were sitting in the house, trying anything we could to get (and stay) warm. Daisy had a few blankets on while drinking a hot cup of tea. Waluigi tried to get a fire running in the fireplace, but soon gave up as the ice covered the hatch. He was now boiling hot water in the kitchen, letting the heat and the humidity warm us. I was only wearing a sweatshirt; Daisy needed the blankets more than I did. Luma was enjoying a mug of hot chocolate (that I was sharing with him) and eating the marshmallows in it. I breathed into my gloves, trying to keep my hands warm. Although it felt nice in the kitchen, it was very, very cold in the other rooms. I was minding my own business, making sure Luma didn't burn himself on the drink when all the sudden Waluigi left. Normally, this wouldn't bother me too much. The fact that he hid his face as he left was what concerned me. I stood up, and made a cup of cocoa and followed him out of the kitchen. Luma stayed with Daisy to keep her company. The cold air hit me like a wall. I stood there for a second, trying to not lose my balance. I walked up to him, but he turned away from me. I almost left him alone, but seeing his tears made me change my mind.

I sat down next to him, and set me hand on his shoulder, saying that I had cocoa for him. He took it gently and just held it. I was at a complete loss of what else to do, but I didn't want to leave him. He set the glass down on the coffee table, and pulled out a small box from his pocket. He held it gently and opened it. Delicately, he took out a pair of glasses, and cradled them in his hands. A few minutes passed, and he curled his fingers around them and placed it over his heart. I stood up slowly, but he asked for me to stay. I walked around the couch and sat in front of him rather than behind. Tears covered his face, and his eyes were closed. I handed him the drink again, and told him to enjoy it while it was hot. Putting the glasses back in the case, he took the cup and sipped lightly. He faced me, and my heart shattered when he held back a sob.

"It's my fault." He whispered. "I couldn't save her…"

"You weren't there when she was taken." I answered softly. "It was only she and Rose."

"I could have stopped them!" he fired. "I was talking on the phone with her before they left. I tried to tell her no, but she didn't listen."

I gave him my hands, and he squeezed them as hard as he could. Even though it hurt me, I withstood the pain as he was emotionally breaking apart. I held them back, and watched as his eyes swell with tears. He shut them again.

"She was everything to me." He whispered as they fell.

"She's not dead." I spoke softly.

"_Yet._ I'm sure King Boo has that planned for her in the future…and there isn't a god damned thing I can do to save her now! We have only been dating a few months, and then this hell started up. I can't save her, no one can!"

"Don't talk like that, Waluigi; you'll scare Luma. I know you're upset, but try not to yell, alright? You're a very good friend to me, and I want what's best for you and Wendy."

"Have you ever loved someone so much that you feel completely lost when they are gone?"

"Every day of my life. I was like that with Daisy when we started dating. I was like that with Rose, too."

"Was it love at first sight?"

I showed him one of my hands, tilting it side to side, telling him so-so.

"It kind of was for me." He explained. He sighed and I knew he was going to talk for a while. "The first time I saw her was when the hospital was on fire years ago. Mona was holding the girl back; she was trying to get into the building to save Daisy. Mona asked me for help, and I was planning on being the cold person I usually am when I'm around people I don't know. To calm herself down, she started talking to me, and I answered with one word answers. While I was giving those answers, I noticed how pretty her eyes were. It was honestly the first time for me to see a pair of green eyes like hers. Sure, Rose has them, too…but not like Wendy; hers shone with life, happiness and concern.

"Concern?"

"For me. After the entire fiasco with Mr. L, we had that one month break before the Shroobs invaded. We didn't talk until we had to make a run for it. Once we were in Beanbean, we spoke a little more during the meetings. She brought up our first encounter, asking if I were feeling alright back then. I didn't really give her an answer; I couldn't. I didn't have an answer. Well, one day, after the meetings we went our separate ways to go to bed…and…"

"And what?"

"It was weird. When the day was over and we went our separate ways, I felt lonely; I felt more alone than I have in my entire life. I sat up after trying to sleep for a few hours, and Brian asked if I were alright. After not answering, he advised that I get a drink of water. Thanking him, I followed his advice and walked downstairs. It was fairly early in the morning, and I was confused to see Wendy still up. Her eyes left the book she was reading, and she smiled when she saw me. I offered to get her a glass of water, and she politely denied, saying that she was heading to bed pretty soon. I grabbed a glass of water, and we started talking. We really didn't talk about anything in particular, just talking about memories of growing up and what are lives were like. She explained how much you meant to Rose, and it set something off in her."

I stayed silent as Waluigi recomposed himself.

"Apparently she was extremely jealous of what her sister had with you. It got to the point where she would cry about it. As she was explaining how she felt about it, she started crying angry tears. I handed her my handkerchief, and she wiped her eyes with it. She took off her glasses to do so, and I felt my heart flutter seeing her eyes again. I still don't know what caused me to do this, but all the sudden my hand grabbed hers, and she looked at me in confusion. I told her that she had pretty eyes, and she looked at me in disbelief. I gave her back her glasses, and said that her special someone would come someday. She thanked me, and we headed our own ways for the night."

"That was the night…" I whispered.

He nodded. "That was when my heart told me I was in love."

"I'm really happy for you, Waluigi. Not a lot of people thought you could have a girlfriend."

"Not a lot of people do; they say that this is a phase."

"What happened next?" I asked purposely trying to keep him in a good mood.

"Well, the next morning, I woke up later than usual. Brian knew I had a hard time falling asleep, so he let me be. When I finally did get up, I put on my normal attire, and went downstairs to meet up with the others. This was when we were going to Flipside to meet with Merlin." A moment of silence passed. "So during the circle thing that he had us do, Wendy was with Rosalina and I was with Brian. We had our discussions and whatnot, and when we regrouped, we explained what we confessed. After that, everyone went their separate ways. All the sudden it was only Wendy and me. She looked like she was about to cry, and I walked her over to the bench and we sat down. After pestering her for a little bit, she told me that the confession only made it worse for her; that she purposely avoided bringing up the thing she was really worrying about. Just as a kind gesture, I gave her the rose I carry around with me, saying that she shouldn't cry and that she could always talk to me. I left then, knowing that she would be coming after me in a few seconds. The problem was that I didn't know if it were to be for good or bad. On the rose, I tied a small note on it. All it read was 'I love you'. Short and simple. She called my name, and I turned. She asked why, and I told her everything that I felt."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Of course I was! I got to rambling, but I got my point across. That awkward moment of silence when you don't know if the girl is going to smack you or hug you happened, and when she walked closer to me, I backed away. She laughed, asking why I was running away from her. Using her powers, she drew a heart in the air in between us with. I drew a heart with my water, keeping it afloat. She froze it in place, and carved two W's into it, whispering 'thank you' to me."

He snickered at me, and suddenly I realized I was grinning like an idiot. We laughed a little bit, and the mood got lighter. I explained to him that we, as a team, would do anything to help him out when it came to the safety and well-being of his sweetheart. He thanked me, not only for what I promised, but for listening to him.

"I have one more question." I asked as we stood up to head back into the kitchen.

He looked at me.

"Have you two…kissed yet?"

He shook his head. "I want to take this slow; I don't think I am ready. I am afraid that this is a phase."

"Well, when you are ready, make sure to make it something she'll remember forever."

He nodded, a small smile lighting his face. We walked back in the kitchen, and I kissed Daisy lightly. Luma flew up to me and asked for a kiss as well. I laughed and kissed him as well. He nuzzled against me, purring with happiness.

"Waluigi." Daisy spoke. "If you want to, you and Luigi can try and stop Dimentio from going through with the legend. I can stay here and try to keep the house warm until you get back."

"Are you sure?" I asked holding her hands.

"Certain. Luma filled me in on everything while you two were talking. Since Wendy knows where the palace is, she'll most likely attack there. Besides, it is easier to keep this place warmer than the palace. We can set up sleeping pads in the living room after I break the ice."

"Well, don't hurt yourself." Waluigi cautioned. "The ice is terrible."

She nodded, and kissed Luma and me one more time and gave Waluigi a hug. "Be safe, all three of you."


	11. Chapter 11

When we got back to Beanbean, the ice was worse than when we left. Luma has grabbed a pair of ice skates for us before we left, and we put them on. I like ice skating, but I'm not too fond of doing it into the wind. It was absolutely freezing as Waluigi and I slowly made our way towards Brian's ship. We arrived, and no one was there. Concerned, I called for Booling. He appeared, and explained that everyone had defeated Mr. E for the time being, and that they went back to the palace, mentioning that Peasley was getting better. Waluigi and I ice skated back to the palace, and managed to break open the ice around the door. Brian stood up, preparing to fight, but put away his sword when he saw Luma fly through the door. Brian shouted that we were back, and that there was no need for alarm.

"What's going on?" Waluigi asked softly.

"Peasley got hurt while you and Waluigi were gone." He explained. "He has recovered a lot, however, and should be getting out soon. Fiamo is freaking out about it, though…"

"Where are they?" I asked.

"You can bring him here if you want; I feel that he would be more comfortable that way. They are both upstairs with Rose in Peasley's room."

I nodded, thanking him. After taking off the skates, I put on my normal shoes and made my way upstairs. It was a little warmer, but not by much. I made my way to Peasley's room, and Fiamo was sitting on the ground next to it. His eyes were closed and his face looked like it was fighting. I rested my hand on his, and he looked up at me. He smiled softly, but it diminished as soon as it appeared. He sighed softly. After talking him into coming downstairs with me, he started to break.

"Man, today is the day to break." I spoke lightly.

"I know about Waluigi; Luma filled me in while you were gone." Brian spoke lightly as we came down the stairs. "Rose is on edge of breaking for the same reason. Mario was scared for you, but he didn't cry…we're just one big paranoid family."

Fiamo laughed a little. "I am a lot better than earlier, mind you."

"That's good to hear." I answered.

We were all holding a nice chat, and Rose came down the stairs a few minutes later, saying that Peasley was alright. He came down as well, and he and Fiamo spoke softly to one another. Mario joined the rest of us. We were going to head into the Conference Room to speak again, but the door slowly opened. We all backed up, and Mr. E walked in, darkness swirling around him. He let off a small chuckle as the door closed behind him, sealing off our exit.

"It is time." E spoke his voice thick with rage. "I must put an end to this…madness."

"Madness?" Rose asked. "I think that is the wrong word to choose unless you are talking about yourself."

Mr. E laughed as he blasted a beam of darkness. Peasley dashed off, going to retrieve his weapon. Rose followed him, and they both came back with speed. Brian drew his weapon, and also pulled out what looked like a bottle filled with red liquid. All the sudden he threw it at the ground, and red smoke pillowed all throughout. I felt my energy increase, and I smiled, knowing that he healed all of us by making a normal Power Mushroom dissolve into a liquid. When mixed with oxygen, it can turn into a smoke, and anyone who inhales it is healed.

I learned a lot of weird tricks while I hung out with Gadd once upon a time.

I rolled my neck and cloaked my hands and arms with flames. Mario followed suit, and Fiamo came back with his quiver full of arrows and his bow. Apparently he had used the explosion to cover his escape to grab his weapon. He had an arrow already out and prepared to shoot.

"Don't think for a minute that this will be easy." E hissed.

He spread his arms wide, and all the sudden stakes materialized in midair and struck the ground. They all landed in a circle around him, making a force field of darkness. He laughed in wicked glee as we gathered our strength for the battle. Mario threw a fireball at him, but the darkness reflected the attack. Mario got out of the way just in time. Peasley attacked from behind, taking out one of the stakes and making an opening. Following suit, Brian and I started taking out the stakes. Mr. E was firing darkness at us as we did this, but we soon disarmed his force field. A few arrows were shot at E, but he dodged them with ease. I electrocuted him with lightning and Mario punched him in the gut with flames. Rose held him in place by making a wall of wind behind him as Fiamo released more arrows. E broke out of the prison, and summoned two orbs of energy.

"Slow down, Mr. E." Wendy spoke as she waked through the door.

I upped my defense when she came into the room. She strutted into the room in a purple spaghetti strap mini dress and a red necklace. The earrings matched, and her hair was done up nice. The most horrifying thing was the red go-go boots she was wearing along with them. She laughed a sweet and bitter laugh as she winked at Waluigi.

"My, she does now how to pick them." She spoke her voice not her own.

"I got this, Wendy." Mr. E hissed.

She turned to him. "Do you now? You look pretty beaten up, and there isn't a scratch on the others."

Her voice returned, and a small deep laughed came from her as she approached us. She slowly walked towards Fiamo, who had an arrow out and ready to shoot. She rested her hand on his shoulder, and slowly slid it down his arm.

"That feels strange and awkward." He answered before she could ask. "You're trying to flirt with me when I don't have any kind of interest in you."

"That… can easy be changed." She whispered.

"No not really." Fiamo pulled away. "Not only are you extremely creepy, but your taste in clothing is too bad for me to get past."

I almost snorted.

"Why don't you like me?" she attempted to be seductive.

He jumped out of the way and shot her hand with an arrow. "As I mention earlier; you aren't my type."

"Well, then…" she threw ice at him as she continued talking. "What are you interested in if not me?"

Fiamo dodged with ease and continued to fire arrows at her. "Well, it is already established that I don't like you. As Wendy, I would, based on the stories I have heard from your boyfriend and sister. But not this…whatever the hell you are now. You're not the Wendy I was told about."

"That's right; I am better. Wait…_boyfriend?_" she asked horrified.

I laughed. Waluigi even snickered.

"Wow…" Fiamo spoke. "That's low of you. Beside the point, you're not my type."

"That was already mentioned. I will ask one more time; what is your type?"

He flashed a cocky smile. "Well, I hate to tell you that I will be taken if everything goes as planned. I have a good feeling that it will. All I can say that it is something you can't pull off."

"I'm up for the challenge."

"Well, if you can make a gender swap right here right now, then we'll talk." Wendy's face was horrified and Fiamo laughed "Didn't think so."

"I thought you said you had this fight, Wendy." Waluigi stepped in. "I am quite disappointed by the effort."

She faced him. "Well, as you can see, I am not wearing the most appropriate battle attire."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Wendy, go get ready." E spoke up, "You have… things… to do. I'll handle them."

"Don't disappoint again." Wendy hissed as she walked out.

Mr. E faced us and drew back his hood. "I am going to give this to you flat. If you want to try and stop the revival, then you better listen well. Put your weapons away, or I will say nothing."

A few minutes of silence passed between all of us. Sighing, Fiamo gave in and placed his remaining arrows in the quiver and his bow back on his back. Peasley and Brian put away their blades and the rest of us released our spells.

"Good. Now, I am going to tell you where it is and when it will happen."

"Why are you telling us?" I asked.

He faced me. "You're not the only one who doesn't want this revival to happen. Come to the clearing between Beanbean and the Mushroom Kingdom tonight; I will be waiting for you there."

With that, he disappeared within his own dark portal.

"I feel that this is a trap." Rose mused.

"I think the same, but the problem is that he is the only one who knows where the seal is." Mario responded.

"He is right." Booling spoke behind me. "Pardon me for hiding in your hat, Luigi, but it was the only way I could join you in the middle of the day."

"No wonder Luma hasn't been there." I spoke lightly.

"Anyways," Booling spoke. "The seal is in between the two kingdoms where you and Daisy fought the Shroobs. The vines she summoned weakened the seal, allowing the revival to take place. It wasn't her fault; it would have happened eventually."

I nodded slowly.

"The only choice we have is to follow." Peasley proclaimed. "We have stopped a revival before; we can stop another."

After speaking for a few hours on the matter, it was decided that we go to the clearing. We all went our separate ways to do some things before heading out into the cold. Mario was making sure we had all the equipment. Luma sat on my shoulder and chatted with Booling. Brian and Rose were cleaning the blades. Noticing that the other three were missing, I asked them about it.

"I think Waluigi went to practice the piano." Brian spoke softly. "I can hear it from here."

Thanking them, I went through the castle and found all three of them. Just as Brian said, Waluigi was playing a small song on the piano based on memory. It was slow and full of passion. A few measures into it, Peasley joined in, playing the violin. Fiamo was sitting in a chair off to the side, just listening to the music. I smiled at him as I sat down. He smiled back, and we both listened. Luma moved to the piano and sat on Waluigi's shoulder, admiring his handiwork. A few minutes passed, and both of them stopped.

"I didn't know you played violin, Peasley." Waluigi said patting Luma on the head.

"I had the choice of piano or violin. I can't really perform my emotions sitting down. I have to be able to walk around a little." Peasley walked over to Fiamo, and played a slow melody, walking around him. "Besides, I like how I can change moods drastically depending on how fast I move the bow. I can easily turn a ballad into a dance by picking up the tempo. It is possible with a piano, but it gets complicated because you might miss a key or two."

"Then why do you have one?" Waluigi asked putting the cover over the keys.

"The King used to play it." Peasley placed the violin under his chin and played softly as he continued, "He went on a mission years ago and never returned. The Queen couldn't get rid of the piano; it is one of the last things remaining of him. I know how to play it, but I don't very often. It makes her sad."

"Is that why you chose the violin?" Fiamo asked softly.

"Partly. I don't want to address it too much. Let's enjoy the moment we have before fighting, shall we? Waluigi, you are more than welcome to continue to play the piano. I actually would prefer it."

Nodding, Waluigi went back to the ivory keys, and strummed a short ditty to warm up his fingers. Both the musicians continued to play the song they were earlier, and Fiamo and I enjoyed the music. Luma enjoyed it, too; he hovered close to Peasley (he moved too much for Luma to sit in his shoulder), watching in interest. After a little bit, Peasley noticed, and handed Luma the bow, teaching him how to play it. Pushing a chair closer to him with his foot, Peasley sat down and held the violin as Luma slowly pushed and pulled the bow across the strings. Together, they played a small song. Waluigi added himself into it by playing a simple chord over and over softly. Once the song closed, Luma thanked him with a cheerful squeal, and I smiled as he came back, saying that he was a musical Luma.

Waluigi closed the lid again, and stepped out after thanking Peasley. I followed, leaving Fiamo and Peasley to themselves. I approached Waluigi, and he sighed. Luma flew up to him, took his hat, and chanted that he had it. He flew around and around in circles, doing different dances as he passed Waluigi and I. After Waluigi started smiling, Luma gave him his hat back.

"Play piano pretty." Luma piped at him. "Practice for Nice Doctor Lady. Play when she come back, okay?" Waluigi nodded and Luma hit his nose before the smile diminished. "No sad. Happy."

Brian approached us, saying that it was time to go. I turned to go get the other two, but they had just come out, holding hands and speaking to one another. We gathered the rest of the crew and got into our winter attire. After checking that we had everything, we put on our ice skates, and slowly made our way to the revival area.

The travel there was slow and very cold. We kept our conversations to a minimal; no use wasting the energy that could be used to keep us warm. We were in a bird's flying formation: Waluigi was leading the pack, Rose and I were behind him, Mario was behind me and Fiamo and Peasley were talking up the rear. Once we got to the clearing, we slowed down to a complete stop.

"Where are they?" Rose's muffled voice asked through a blue scarf.

"I'm afraid that this is not the right place." Brian answered through a skier's mask (how the hell did he get one of those?). It covered the entire lower part of his face, and the only thing exposed was his eyes. "Is this where you fought the Shroobs, Luigi?"

Suddenly stakes fell from the sky, trapping us through dark magic. Mr. E's voice echoed off the ice as he appeared in front of us.

"I must say that that was easier than I had expected it to be." He laughed.

"Excellent job, Mr. E." Dimentio appeared in the middle of the air. "I told you that they were gullible."

"Shall we start the show?"

Dimentio laughed a possessed wicked laugh filled with vial glee. It sent chills through all of us. He floated above us, and made the dark forces invisible around us. The red circle from where the spell was cast was still visible, telling us that we were still imprisoned. Peasley, who was wearing a scarf and a hooded cloak, took off his gloves and gave them to Fiamo, saying that he needed them more than he. I felt Mario rub his hands up and down my arms, trying to keep me warm. I noticed that we were slowly moving closer, trying to prevent the others from freezing to death. I cupped my hands over my heart, trying to keep Luma from freezing.

We watched in terror as Dimentio flew higher in the air, and raised his hands above his head. The jewels on his hat flickered with life, and all the sudden a complex series of pictures and words in an unrecognizable language appeared on the ice in front of us.

"_Surge magistrum_… Dimentio chanted as Mr. E joined him in the air.

"_Tenebras meas, docebit vos_." Mr. E echoed as Dimentio voiced his.

"_Per glaciem sanabo vulnerati tui corde._" Wendy stood next to us. She was wearing a slutty version of a purple ceremonial outfit and carrying a golden staff with a red jewel on top as well as wearing King Boo's crown.

The three villains strung their sentences together, echoing them and chanting them until it got into a cluttered chaotic mess. _Surge magistrum. Tenebras meas, docebit vos. Per glaciem sanabo vulnerati tui corde. _They echoed it off of each other until it made no sense. The seal glowed and pulsed as the chanting continued. A few terrifying minutes passed, and a loud _crack_ exploded in the air, causing the chanting to stop and making me jump. There was a nasty, jagged crack in the middle of the seal. Mr. E floated just above the crack, and summoned more spears of darkness. Each one landed in the seal, outlining the circumference.

Everyone stopped chanting; it was deathly silent as Wendy froze each spear and connected them together like a spider making a web. Once it was done, Mr. E raised high in the air, summoned one more spear and held on to it. As he did, he added more and more darkness to it. The ground started vibrating like a terrible earthquake. The vibrations grew more intense and before I lost my balance, he let out a terrifying scream of rage and fury as he broke the ice web and drilled it through the seal, shattering the design on the ice. He held his position as the seal fractured. Each break echoed off of the icy terrain and soon the entire seal dissolved into the ice again. Mr. E stepped back, and as soon as he stopped moving, the ground exploded and ice covered clay rained on all of us. The most terrifying monster emerged from the deadly opening that was carved into the earth. I felt the terror possess the entire group as the ice demon pulled itself out of his prison. Its head; a giant skull made of pure ice, came inches away from us and roared in fury and glee of freedom.

"Welcome back, Master." Dimentio spoke as he appeared next to us. "We brought you a little 'house warming' gift for you."

The barrier was removed from around us, and all the sudden an arrow stuck itself in Dimentio's shoulder. He spun around and growled at us. Fiamo drew another arrow and shot at the skull. It bounced off of him, but that didn't stop Fiamo from firing a hailstorm of arrows as we got out of the situation. Everyone scrambled, and soon Waluigi and I were leading the pack. Every once in a while, we would scatter so we wouldn't get caught all at once. We finally got back to the Mushroom Kingdom and showed no signs of slowing down. We booked it all the way to Waluigi's house.

"Marco!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I was still weak from all of the "sprinting" that I had done the last few seconds, but I was thankful when the front door opened and Daisy was standing there, responding "polo". I read the shock and terror on her face as she stepped aside. I think we were all too frightened to care; we skated as hard and fast as we could to the front door. I got in first, and somehow managed to get out of the way as the rest of the group flew through the door. As soon as the last person entered, Daisy slammed the door shut. There were a few tense moments of silence. Everyone was deathly still, uncertain and too tired to do anything else. The only sound that was heard (other than the fire in the fireplace) was the breathing of everyone trying to catch their breath.

All the sudden Peasley choked back a sob. Fearing something terrible, Fiamo held him, asking what was wrong. An uneasy moment passed as Peasley tried to compose himself, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down.

"We're…we're alive." He finally broke down. "Oh my fucking god, we're alive."

Slowly, Fiamo pulled a rose out of his jacket, and handed it to Peasley. He adjusted a little bit, and Peasley sat on his lap and leaned his head against Fiamo's chest. He finally let go, and he cried freely as Fiamo held him close. He stroked his hand through his hair slowly as Peasley buried his face into his chest.

"There is no reason to cry, Peasley." Fiamo spoke lightly as he cupped the Prince's face.

"I was afraid…" he whispered. "I was afraid that I would suffer the same fate as the King. He…he went on a mission and…and never came back. I…I…"

"Peasley, Peasley…calm down. Everything is alright. I am here to protect you. I will be here to protect you when you need it, as you will with me; that was the promise we made to each other. You have a giant heart, but you hide it in your need to be a strong figure towards your people in their time of need. The blessing is that I am the only one that sees past this defense, and see the man deep inside your heart. I would carry on and on about your eyes and face…but it is the heart I am most in love with."

Peasley sniffed and pulled away to wipe away his tears. He tried to pull himself together again, but he was still fighting. Fiamo gently rested his hand on his, and they held hands.

"Your smile and your laugh tell me that you are happy and content; I don't want to see you cry." Fiamo spoke as he slowly brushed hair away from Peasley's eyes. "Please, don't cry anymore."

The prince smiled, and whispered his thanks. Before anything else could happen, Fiamo threw the entire crew off guard when he leaned in and kissed Peasley.

"No." Fiamo whispered. "Thank you."

* * *

_Author Note: Art Feature in this one :)  
_


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the terror that we just witnessed, we tried to bring happiness into the sad and gloomy house. We couldn't do much for the risk of losing power, and thus, losing heat. I was sitting on the loveseat with my eyes closed, deep in thought. Daisy was sitting in my lap; her head was resting on my shoulder and a blanket was wrapped around the two of us. She was holding a small glass orb, and Booling's face was inside it. We were talking about the next move that we had to take.

"There is a way to close the seal." Booling explained. "The four heroes need to use their powers."

"Well, who are they? Daisy asked. "I know you said that your guess was wrong."

The Boo nodded. "I thought Rose played a big impact, but I was wrong. The issue we have now is that I know who it is." My eyes opened, showing interest. "You won't like it, though."

"Can I throw you against the wall, then?" I asked laughing slightly.

"I don't think that would do anyone any good." He answered. "I recalled from when I first sealed the monster, Bonechill, back into his prison, we had to use the same elements that opened it in the first place."

"So," Daisy spoke. "We need to get Wendy back?"

"The thing you should be worried about is finding someone who has the power of darkness."

"I highly doubt we can find anyone new at this point in time." Peasley spoke as he joined us. "Is there anyone you had in mind?"

Booling sighed. "Luigi, please don't throw me against the wall when I say this. I think the only chance you have is persuading Mr. E."

"There is no way!" I shouted suddenly. I startled Daisy and Peasley. "No one can persuade him to join the light. I feel that he was created the same way Mr. L was the very first time; Dimentio brainwashed me. By this time, the spell would have too much of a hold on the poor soul."

"Maybe he's not possessed at all." Peasley cut me off. "Maybe…just maybe…he was created just for that purpose."

"The main issue I have is freeing Wendy from King Boo." Rose entered.

"Maybe if we get Mr. E to join us, King Boo will follow." Peasley suggested.

"No." Booling and I said at the same time.

"He's having too much fun." I answered. "Did you _see _what Wendy was wearing?"

"More like what haven't I seen?" Peasley laughed.

"Where should we start looking for him?" Daisy asked looking up at me.

I kissed her forehead. "Should we go back to the seal?"

"Good place to start." Rose answered.

So Rose, Waluigi and I gathered our winter attire, and after saying good-bye to everyone, we went out into the ice and snow. We slowly skated across the roads in unison, keeping in a straight line as much as we could. Before we left, Peasley handed us a few hand warmers to stick into our pockets. All three of us had scarves wrapped around our lower faces and, ironically, they were colored coordinated.

When we arrived, we stopped a few feet away from the opening. Mr. E was kneeling in front of the broken seal, examining a piece of it in interest. He raised his head, and spun around, pulling out his katana at the same time. I noticed there and then that his giant cloak was missing.

"It's so I can move freely." E hissed at us. "If you were wondering why the cloak was gone."

"Can you read minds?" I asked.

He laughed a wicked laugh. "No; I just knew you would ask." He skated closer to us. "Why are you here?"

"E, I don't think you know the risk that was taken with the revival." Rose explained. "The world-"

"I know!" he snapped. "I know that Bonechill is going to freeze all life forms. Dimentio explained it to me; he said that I would rule on his side if I did one simple task." A beat of silence passed. "But then you bastards came. All of you…and your stupid magic. Stupid, weak spells anyways! It's your fault I am not there now!"

"Slow down!" Waluigi shouted. "You lost me."

"It's your fault!" E roared at us. "I would be there now! My only mission was to dispose of the Heroes. I had the plans laid out. It was going well…then you bastards had to screw it up! Dimentio always told me that I was created for one purpose; to protect the seal from the heroes. But you guys found it, and you're not dead."

"I'm not one to take chances." I spoke through my scarf as I snapped my flames in my hands.

"Now we're speaking the same language." E chuckled. "Have at you!"

Waluigi summoned his flames (since water would be counter-productive) and we blended our power and aimed it at Mr. E. Unfortunately, he dodged with ease, and was swinging his blade like a madman. We went in defense, and Rose kept spinning the falling snow with her wind, distracting E and making him miss. This process went on for a few hours, and then he collapsed onto the ice.

"Why?" he shouted into the ground. "What do you want from me?"

"Will you listen to us now?" Waluigi asked calmly.

E's head snapped up, his blue eyes piercing. "That is the last thing I want to do."

All the sudden, he summoned a dark portal and disappeared. I turned to leave, and all the sudden tackled Waluigi.

"Damn you!" Wendy shouted.

I apologized to him as we stood up. Wendy charged after Waluigi, and he got out of the way. I didn't have time to move, and Wendy's knife cut through my coat, breaking the skin. Screaming more of shock than pain, I doubled over in a defensive position, clutching my stomach. I heard Wendy start to freak out, and all the sudden the blade fell from her hand. She started screaming, and I managed to look over and see her on her knees. Her hands were tearing at her hair, and she chucked the crown all the way to the other side of the seal. She continued to claw at her own head, like something was trying to come out of it and she was fighting to keep it in. Or…it was her trying to get the thing _out_ of her head.

Then, it stopped. Everything stopped. Before she collapsed, Waluigi caught her, and held her close to his heart. A few moments of uneasiness passed, and she groaned in pain.

"Wha…where am I?" Wendy asked. "I remember seeing a light, and…" he head bolted up, looking at Waluigi. "King Boo!"

"It's alright, Wendy." He held her. "I'm here."

"No!" She pulled away. "The impact of hearing Luigi's scream broke it for a little bit." She placed her hands on her head again. "He's trying again…oh god. Oh no. Luigi, are you dead?"

"No." I answered.

Wendy started fighting again. Waluigi put her glasses on, and they locked eyes.

"I wanted you to see me before I lost you again." Waluigi spoke in a panic. "I will never stop fighting for you." Wendy started crying. "Don't fight it; he will kill you."

"But…" she sobbed.

"Wendy, please. It hurts me more to see you in pain."

She opened her eyes, and nodded.

"I'm sorry…for whatever I did and what I will do. I love you."

Before Waluigi could say anything, Wendy's head snapped up, and she was gone. Her green eyes were red again, and I stood up. She disappeared before anything else happened, leaving the crown (and her spare glasses) behind.

* * *

I was lying down in the master bed as Rose was cleaning the blood from my body. Thankfully, the coat was too thick and got in the way from certain death. It was only a light scratch. She stood up and left without saying anything.

_Hey, Brian. Can I talk to you?_ I texted him.

A few minutes later, the pirate entered the room. I explained the entire episode with Mr. E and Wendy to him. When I got to the part when Wendy managed to free herself for a short time, he sat down, digesting everything. After I was done, I sighed, and said that Rose might act a bit strange. He smiled.

"It's not sadness; its hope." He explained. "She came to me, and sobbed that Wendy was alive. Even though, basing in what I gathered, Rose didn't directly communicate with her sister, and they both know that they are alive. That made Rose happy; knowing that her sister knew that she was alive and alright."


	13. Chapter 13

It had been a few days since we had out last encounter with both Mr. E and Wendy. We were trying the best we could to stay positive and healthy minus the fact that everything around us had a thick layer of ice on it. So far, no one has gotten sick, so that is one thing to get excited about I guess. Instead of everyone having their own bedroom, we made cots and sleeping pads in the living room and tried to keep the fireplace burning at all times. Tonight had been the worst of nights we have had; the electricity went out, and the heat went with it. We all knew that the hope disappeared as soon as the heat stopped. But we all tried to stay positive as much as we could.

I was tending to the fire at around 3 in the morning while the others were asleep. The number of cots and pads decreased that night; everyone had a sleeping partner to share warmth with. Daisy and Waluigi were (I was tending to the fire, that's why), Rose and Brian, Fiamo and Peasley. Then…there was Mario. Hurt and sympathy flickered through me, so I had moved him to my lap while I poked the logs with a metal stick, trying to keep the fire running. I had moved my arm too much and accidentally woke him up. He was flustered for a few seconds, and then remembered the situation we were in.

"Go back to sleep, bro." I whispered. "Tomorrow will be quite the interesting day."

"I can't." he sat up and shivered. "I've been thinking too much."

"Do I need to tell you a story?" I teased.

Thankfully, Mario laughed. "No…"

I felt Luma stir in his sleep under my hat. I asked Mario to watch the fire for me, and I excused myself, getting a glass of water. I handed it to him, and he whispered his thanks. Sadness flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came. He drank lightly and leaned against me, trying to stay warm. I chatted with him for a while, trying to calm his nerves down so he could sleep, but it seemed to be going nowhere. I looked out the window, and the sun was just making its way through. I told Mario that he needed sleep, but he refused again. I excused myself once again, and softly shook Fiamo. He woke up, thanking me. Carrying Peasley, he went and took his shift of tending to the fire.

After much persuasion, I finally got Mario to walk outside with me. We gathered our winter attire, and quickly made our way outside. We went around to the back of the house, looking at the heater. We worked on it for a little while and all the sudden Mario told me to stop. I looked at him, and he told me that Fiamo texted him, saying that the heater was back on. I closed the door to the mechanical interior, and we started to make our way back. Before we got to the front, Mario asked me if I would walk with him around the city. Confused, I nodded.

We were both shivering lightly, and Luma was now in my coat, staying nice and toasty. We walked in silence until we got to the heart of the city. It was dead; everything was covered in a thick blanket of ice and snow. The fountain that would usually be flowing happily and peacefully was frozen, and Mario lightly traced the water with his hand.

Seeing my brother's face made me realize something. He had been fighting all day to tell me what was bugging him. I grabbed his hand that was tracing the ice, and he looked at me in confusion. I pulled him close to me in a hug of kindness, and that was when he broke. He clutched me and tried so hard not to cry. Luma squirmed his way out of my coat, and poked at Mario. When we parted, he looked at Luma in concern.

"Beep." He chirped as he poked Mario's nose.

Mario snickered and I laughed lightly. Mario poked his little body, saying 'boop'. Luma laughed as he hid back in my coat. Mario thanked the little guy, and faced me again.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing." He responded smiling. "I'll be alright."

"Lie." Luma piped from my coat.

"I will be after a few minutes, promise."

We continued walking through the city, trying not to slip and fall flat on our backs. The city was peaceful and quiet. It felt strange, but at the same time nice.

"Luigi." Mario got my attention after a few minutes. "How long do you think someone can last in this weather?"

"Like stuck outside? Umm…my guess would be no more than a day before they froze. Maybe a day and a half if they kept moving. Why?" It hit me then. Mario watched as my eyes grew in worry and fear. "When was the last time you heard from her?"

"A week."

Everything made sense to me then. Mario had one job…and he felt that he had failed. I grabbed his hands, and told him that we would find her.

"Alive or dead?" Mario fired at me. "Luigi, no one knows about this. No one cared if she died or not. I neglected my duties, the Kingdom, and my best friend! If we ever get out of this hell hole, my head will be gone, guarantee!"

I smacked my brother across the face. "I know…I know that this isn't about your job or your duty. It isn't about the Princess anymore. I am not blind, bro; I know you and Peach have been together for more than ten years. There is more than duty and your life on the line. We _will_ find her. She's not completely defenseless, you know. Mario…I promise. I'm sorry for smacking you, but I had to get you before you got lost in hysterics." Mario nodded as tears fell from his eyes. "You're tears will freeze to your face, robbing it from warmth. Keep the warmth for her; she'll need it."

Mario nodded, thanking me as he cleared his face of tears with his hand. I pulled out my phone, and Mario looked at me in concern.

_Sweetheart, are you awake?_ I texted Daisy.

_I am. Where did you go?_ She responded quickly.

_That's not important. I have an important question._

_ Okay…_

_ When was the last time you saw Peach?_

A few minutes passed, and I hadn't gotten an answer. Mario and I decided to keep looking, and we came across the green bulb that Daisy imprisoned herself in to hide from the ice. My phone went off.

_When Dimentio came, he went after us. We decided to try and stick together, but he was too powerful. She told me that she was going to get help and ran off. She was headed in the direction of the Warp Zone._

I told Mario, and he nodded. We slowly made our way towards it. Mario texted Peach; he said that it was a stupid move that could save her life. Once we got to the entrance, Mario focused his power on the doorknobs while I focused mine on the hinges. Once those parts were melted from the ice, we entered slowly. The interior was colder than it was outside. The pipes were frozen, and there was no sign of anyone in the building. Mario closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

"Maybe she didn't make it here." I reassured. "Maybe the ice started, and she hid in a house along the way."

"That's the only hope we have." Mario responded opening his eyes. "Though I don't want to knock on every door in between here and the heart; we would be out here for days."

I nodded and we headed out again, closing the door behind us. Slowly, we made our way back to the heart of the city. All hope was washed out in Mario's face and eyes. I knew that, no matter what I did, I couldn't get him to smile and have hope unless we found Peach. The ice crunched under out feet once we got back to the fountain and back to the bulb. I looked around slowly, not really knowing what to do at this point. I was beginning to lose hope myself.

_No luck?_ Daisy asked.

_No…_ I answered. _ Mario's given up._

_ …_

I closed my phone, and Mario was trying so hard not to cry openly. Luma was trying his best to soothe him, but his attempts bared no fruit of progress.

"Luma, leave Uncle Mar-Mar alone." I spoke lightly.

"No." he piped. "Uncle Mar-Mar sad."

Mario kissed the little guy, and asked him to do as his Mama told him. Luma flew back to me, sad that he couldn't make Mario happy. Before he went into my coat, his eyes grew wide.

"Question." Luma piped at Mario. "Anyone Pretty Girl know along way?"

"To the Warp Zone? She knows everyone; she's the Princess."

"Person."

"He's asking if she knows anyone personally." I informed Mario.

"The only person I could think of is Kassie; the beautician."

"Check there." he piped softly

Mario stood up, saying that Luma had a good idea. We walked back in the direction of the Warp Zone, and went to the Beautician's shop. Once again, Mario and I unfroze the door and entered quietly. It was just about as dead as the Warp Zone.

"Mario…" I whispered as I closed the door. "It's warm."

"So?" he asked.

"Someone is here."

His eyes lit in hope. Slowly, the two of us walked through the shop, trying to find the source of the heat. After looking for a few minutes, we found a secret door, leading to the basement. Gradually we descended down the staircase and opened the door at the bottom. The room opened up into darkness, but a warm light was coming from farther back. After closing the door, we headed in. Mario took the lead, and Luma sat on his hat, making his light brighter so we could see. Mario's Star came out as well, and was in front of Mario, shining his light. Luma got too cold, apologized, and returned into my coat.

We realized that the light we had been following was another door. Not the door itself; the light was under the door. Voices of people talking seeped through the door. Mario's Star managed to fit itself under it, leaving the two of us in the dark. We waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened.

"That Star…" a voice spoke. "Why is it here?"

A few seconds of silence passed, and then the sound of someone crying filled the emptiness. The door handle moved slightly, and it opened. Kassie looked at us, and smiled. She opened the door wider, and a shriek of happiness grabbed our attention. Mario walked in and met Peach halfway. They held each other in relief and happiness. Mario cupped her face and kissed her deeply for a few seconds.

"I thought I lost you." He whispered. "I was afraid of finding you in the ice…"

"Mario…I thought I would never see you again." She responded as they held hands.

She saw me, and we embraced for a short time. Luma even cheered and hugged her as well. After profusely thanking Kassie for her help, Peach left with us to go back to Waluigi's place. The walk back was much more pleasant than the walk we had earlier. Mario used his fire to keep Peach warm for she had no coat. I knocked three times on the door once we got back, and Daisy opened the door for us, happiness in her eyes when she saw Peach alive. The two friends hugged as Mario and I closed the door. Waluigi handed her a coat and a hot cup of coffee as the two girls parted. Peach and Mario went to the kitchen to talk, and I hugged Daisy for a short time. Luma came out of my coat and hugged Waluigi. He sat on his shoulder as Daisy went to Rose and Brian, who looked like they were playing cards.

"Two down, one to go." I spoke.

"What?" Waluigi asked.

"Two down, one to go." I repeated myself. "We have two of the three separated couples reunited. There was me and Daisy and Mario and Peach. We got those done. The last one is you and Wendy."

"…Thank you for not going back on your word."

"Why would I? You have a special someone like everyone else here. Everyone needs one to get through this. You have eight people plus a Luma until we get her back"

"You're a good friend, Luigi." He spoke. "I want to apologize for the dispute we had years ago."

I shook my head. "I was selfish to brag about it. I'm glad that we started over and we are on the right track. That's the only thing that matters at this point."


	14. Chapter 14

It has been about two weeks since Bonechill was revived. The ice showed no signs of slowing down or stopping its advance. Thankfully, Mario and I had fixed the heat (and it stayed on) and we were allowed to move freely around the house. Peasley had found an old violin, and was giving violin lessons to Fiamo in the living room, Brian was polishing his sword and talking to Rose, who was helping him, Mario and Peach were coloring pictures with Luma, and I was enjoying a cup of coffee with Daisy and Waluigi while talking to Booling.

"The problem we ran into was that we let Mr. E get away." I said to Booling.

"Then everyone should go so he doesn't get the chance." Booling responded. "He is your only hope to get Wendy in order to reseal the seal."

"Should we wait on him to arrive?" Daisy asked, "Or should we go after him?"

Suddenly the sound of splintering wood filled the peace, answering Daisy's question. The three of us scrambled into the foyer with the rest of the crew and powered up. Surrounded by darkness and door shreds was Mr. E. Without saying anything to anyone, he started raining darkness throughout the house, determination engraved into his eyes. Brian cautiously threw the swords to their proper owners, and Fiamo gathered his few remaining arrows. E was in a blind rage; he was attacking with everything that he had. Tears stung his eyes and his face was breaking. Daisy, after a little struggle, managed to gain control of the plants inside the house and started attacking. Brian and Peasley charged from opposite directions, and were blasted back with pure darkness.

Windows shattered and the glass rained on us as the darkness continued to consume everything in its path. Rose decided to back out of the fight; standing near the back. She was casting healing spells. Seeing the magic, E broke through us, heading straight for her. She pulled out her dagger, fighting him with one hand and healing Peach at the same time. Fiamo shot a few arrows and jumped up on the banister. Brian shouted at us to stand back, and Fiamo threw a smoke bomb. As it exploded, I saw Peasley grab Rose by the wrist as we retreated deeper into the house. As we traveled, Rose asked if anyone was hurt. When no one responded, she healed herself lightly before Mr. E came crashing through the ceiling. He almost landed on top of Mario, but he dodged with ease. He bathed the area in darkness so we couldn't see clearly. Once it thinned enough for us to see, E had Rose pinned to the wall by both of her wrists.

"Let's see you break out of this!" he screamed in rage.

Rose kicked and tried to break free to no avail. I saw the fear in her face, and my magic wouldn't summon to me. I charged, and managed to pry one of his hands off of her. The other hand was torn away by Fiamo, and we dragged him to the other side of the hall. Brian and Mario attacked him when he broke from our grip. I ran out of that situation, and saw Peasley struggling with Rose. Running up to him, I threw her over my shoulder and we both bolted out of the hall.

The Foyer was a complete disaster. It was barely recognizable. Peasley shouted at me to meet him in the bedroom that Waluigi was staying in, and I followed orders. I burst through the hall and tore through it, finding the Master Bedroom. After I got in the room, I set Rose on the bed. She was sobbing and Darkness swirled around her. Her body was jolting with pain and strength as she tried to fight off the dark forces. Her eyes were squinted shut, and I held her hand tightly. I think she felt the blood on my hand because she tried to heal it. I yelled at her not to; that she needed to conserve her energy. She bolted upright, and I pinned her down again. She screamed in pain and fear.

"What the hell will that do?" I screamed at Peasley as he ran in, carrying the violin.

"Just trust me!" he responded sharply. "Hold Rose; she'll probably try and get away from the sound."

Peasley closed his eyes, and started to play. Unlike the happy music he usually is, this song was haunting. The sound was eerie and unlike the uplifting things that I have heard him play. I felt Rose start to fight me, and I pressed harder. The music of the violin picked up in speed, and Rose was doing anything she could to get the music to stop. The speed increased, and I knew something was going on. The haunting tones echoed through the chambers as she stopped fighting. Her hands were on my arms, and her eyes were spacing out in the ceiling. Her breathing slowed.

"I suggest you step back, Luigi." Peasley commanded as he slowed down the tempo to an almost standstill.

I nodded, and Rose basically fell lifeless against the mattress. I looked out the door, and I saw Brian against the door frame, his face completely drained. I walked out and sat with him. He tore his bandana off and covered his face with it, trying not to cry out loud. The violin music haunted the corridors again, and a horrible growl filled the silence.

"I didn't say leave." Peasley spoke again. "I still need you."

I walked in, and the darkness took the form of a blob with red eyes. It saw me, and roared. It charged after me, and I dodged with ease.

"Don't hit it." Peasley warned. "Just wear it down."

I have no how long it took for me to get the monster out of breath, but it was soon panting as it sluggishly came after me. After following Peasley's instructions, I walked backwards, luring the mass towards both of us. At the instant it launched itself, I jumped out of the way and Peasley dramatically changed the tone and octave of the song. When this action happened, a beam of light bathed the area around him, not only blinding me and Brian, but diminishing the darkness in the process. The bright light lasted for a while, and I heard Peasley playing at an alarming speed. The air hummed with power as the dark mass screamed in terror as it vaporized into nothing. The music slowed, and the light faded to nothing. Brian ran to Rose's side, concern and fear possessing him. He held his breath, terrified. When Rose opened her eyes, he let out a sob of happiness.

"No time to celebrate." Peasley broke the mood. "Mr. E is still here."

"Right." Brian stood up.

We returned downstairs, and Rose went back to healing everyone, regardless of the fact that she was weak. Brian didn't go into the heat of battle; he stayed back for support. Peasley tuned his violin, and started playing softly. He winked at me, and I charged into the fight. Fire cloaked my hands as I landed a satisfying punch on E's collarbone. He growled and tore out his blade, cutting me in the process. Just as the cut happened, I watched as Rose's magic healed me. He stared at me in disbelief as I heard the violin picking up tempo. I stepped back, telling Peasley to power up a single arrow of Fiamo's. He nodded and continued playing. I ran towards the stairs and jumped the staircase, throwing fire at Mr. E in the process. Stealing one of the arrows from Fiamo's quiver, I held it in the air and a beam of light hit it. I handed it to Fiamo, and he nodded. Taking careful aim, he fired it off.

It hit home.

It stuck itself in E's chest, and the light exploded. He screamed in pain and terror as the others backed off. The light was blinding, and it shut off as soon as Peasley released the last note. There were a few moments of uncertainty, and then he collapsed to his knees, sobbing in defeat.

"Why?" he hissed tearing the arrow out of his chest. "Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Mean?" Brian cried. "You almost possessed my girlfriend!"

E's head snapped up. "I did it for the best! You have no idea what I have gone through! Now I will never rejoin Dimentio's side. It's all your fault; all of you destroyed my purpose. Every…single…one of you…"

He made a portal, and slowly faded away into it. Before he could close it, Luma popped out of my hat, and flew after him. My concern for Luma got the best of me, and I ignored everyone's cries as I threw myself into the portal after him.

* * *

As soon as I opened my eyes, the wind taken out of me as confusion filled my head. I sat up, looking around. After a few minutes, I realized that I landed in the middle of Boo Woods. Great. Finally standing up, I brought my arms around me and shivered as I walked through the area. I was looking for any sign of Luma; a light, a chipper laugh, or a cry of help and despair. The ice crunched under my feet as I treaded my way through the trees and bushes. The moon was full and high in the sky, reflecting off of the ice and casting eerie shadows everywhere I turned. When I stopped, trying not to fall flat on my back, I heard a voice crying.

It wasn't Luma's, but it was some sort of a lead. Tentatively, I followed the path of the voice. It led me to a clearing in the middle of Boo Woods. Mr. E was sitting on a fallen tree, anger and defeat in his eyes. Slowly, he removed the blade on his back, holding it gently in his fingertips. The moonlight danced in wicked glee on it, causing it to reflect against the trees and ice. Slowly, he stood up, and raised the blade above him, pointing the tip of the blade at his heart. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"No!" Luma screamed as he flew into view.

E froze in shock; he knew that he couldn't stab himself with a little Luma in front of him. He couldn't really tell him to go away, either. He stood there, staring at Luma, unsure of what to do. Luma took the blade from him, and threw it out of his reach. Unfortunately, it was in my direction, and I ducked in time as it stuck itself in the tree just inches above my head. Slowly, I pulled the blade out, and continued to watch the scene unfold.

"Why?" Luma piped. "Why E wanna die?"

"I have nothing left!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The pain was apparent in his voice.

"No scream at Luma. Sit, Luma talk." E obeyed as Luma sat in his lap. "No scream. Why wanna die?"

"I have nothing…" E was crying now. "Dimentio was all I had. He told me that I was destined for great things; that I would have a name for myself if I did as he had asked. I followed every order he gave me."

"Why?"

He opened his mouth, but no answer came.

"Luma see no point. Clown Man mean, wanna hurt Mama Luigi and friends. Clown Man took Nice Doctor Lady, and put King Ghost in her. Mean. Luma wanna save Nice Doctor Lady; no more sad Tall Purple Man. Scary monster revived, what do now?"

"I don't know!"

"Oww…" Luma covered his hears.

"I'm sorry…"

"What do after monster come back? What planned?"

"I was supposed to rule next to Dimentio."

"Want that?" A few seconds passed, but E didn't give him an answer. "Want rule with Clown Man? Luma no want to. Luma think Clown Man had plan to do this. No matter what E do, this happen."

He nodded, tears filling his eyes. "What do I do now?"

"Come with Luma." He piped happily. "Luma help. Come talk to Mama, say E wanna help. E want to get back at Clown Man. Seal monster away and free Nice Doctor Lady."

"But I can't; I'm evil."

"E evil. E no E no more. E…E friend now. Friend is friend."

"Is that my new name?"

"If Friend want it to be."

He shook his head, shivering slightly. Seizing the opportunity, I walked out slowly, setting the blade at his feet. He looked at me and Luma squeed for his Mama in happiness. He hugged me, saying that he got a new friend. I kissed his little head, and I watched as the man (I can't call him E because that's not his name anymore) smiled.

"Do you have name ideas?" he asked softly.

"What did the E stand for originally? I asked.

"Evil."

"No." Luma spoke from my arms. "E no more."

"How about Eric?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Rose, the girl you tried to possess, and Wendy's father was named Erik. He was murdered a year and a half ago."

"I respect that. I'm sorry for their loss."

"I stand in their place, and accept the condolence."

He nodded. "I've always liked the name Eugene."

"Do you want it?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Eww jeen." Luma tried to say it.

"Eugene." He spoke slower as I laughed.

They repeated the name back and forth until Luma got it down. Instead of walking back, Eugene opened a portal, and held my hand, saying that it was dangerous for me and Luma to go alone. Closing my eyes, I allowed him to take me into the dark portal.

* * *

I opened my eyes, and we were outside of Waluigi's place. Gently explaining that he didn't want to start another fight, I told him to wait outside. He nodded, and Luma zipped into the house, shouting for everyone to see him. One by one, everyone filed down the stairs and in the entry way. Slowly, Luma explained the entire situation, and when he got to the part where Eugene agreed to help us, we walked in slowly. Automatically, Brian withdrew his sword.

"No fight!" Luma screamed. "Fight not nice. Eugene no hurt anyone. Eugene no Mr. Evil; Eugene is Eugene, and Eugene Luma's friend."

Rose pushed away from Brian, and stood in front of Eugene. Slowly, she raised her hand towards him as a gentle white light swirled around her fingers. Eugene backed up, but when he noticed that it wasn't an attack, he approached again. Rose held her position, saying that he needed to hold her hand. Slowly and hesitantly, he took it. They locked fingers, and the white fog swirled up his arm. He watched in terror as it snaked and swirled around him. Once it returned to her, she backed away.

"Thank you." He spoke.

"Don't think I did it for you." She snapped turning away.

"I can repay you."

She turned slightly. "I have nothing to do with the dark arts."

"It involves Wendy." That stopped her. I could tell that she was fighting to believe him. "You know how she broke out of King Boo's possession when you were at the seal? That's been happening for a while now; that wasn't the first. Just like you, she's a fighter. King Boo has _way_ too much fun dressing her up, and each costume is a battle for who controls her body. She hasn't given up."

Eugene faced Waluigi. "She has spoken about you in those small phases. At first, I only did what Dimentio told me to; put more darkness in her so King Boo can get a hold of her again. One day, she broke down sobbing, begging me to let her speak. I allowed her to, and she spoke about how she was never going to stop fighting; that she would do anything to get back to the man she loves. She also mentioned that she would like to see, but I didn't know what that meant."

"She's practically blind." Waluigi answered pulling out the pair of glasses he kept with him. "She wears glasses."

He nodded. "Anyways, she begged me not to let King Boo take her away; that she was scared that she might not live to see you again. That's when everything started to change in me; I realized that there was more to Wendy than King Boo and Dimentio had in mind. I didn't put darkness in her; I persuaded her to submit so she wouldn't die. I promised her that she would see you again, and she thanked me for the short time and allowed King Boo to take her.

"I knew at least you would go to the seal again; that's why I was there. King Boo was too worried about getting control again that he didn't hear the promise I made to Wendy. I'm glad she fought hard to see you; even if it were for a short time. I got to talk to her again. She thanked me, and said that she was getting weak." That got everyone's attention. "She told me that she can't fight King Boo much longer; she's getting too tired. I told her to conserve her energy until the final fight for her freedom, and she nodded, saying that that was what she was doing. She told me to tell everyone that she is trying her hardest to not fall, and that if she does to not mourn for her and asks someone to watch over his sister in her place."

Brian caught Rose as she sobbed. Eugene walked over to her, and held her hand again.

"Let me promise you something, Rosette; I will do anything in my power to save your sister. She helped me realize that there are more things that are important to life than ruling the world. She and a little Luma taught me so." Luma giggled and Rose smiled. "Let me help you."

She nodded, and hugged Eugene, breaking into sobs. Waluigi, surprisingly, was calm and composed. I knew that he was putting a lot of faith in something that he wasn't sure would go through.

But…what other choice do we have?


	15. Chapter 15

It took some getting used to with Eugene joining the group. I tried my hardest to include him in the group discussions, but he was always ridiculed about being on the dark side. It had only been a few days since he joined us, and he was already acting…strange. In one of these meetings, Mario went out of his way to explain his fear of being spied on; that Eugene was only doing this to help out Dimentio. He had been fighting not to snap at Mario for these instances, but I felt that today was the last straw. His strong composure broke, and he left the room before he did anything too rash. As he slammed the door, he let out a shout of frustration and anger. The sound of something breaking followed shortly, and Brian opened the door slightly. He faced us, and pulled out his blade.

"Stay there!" Eugene screamed at Brian closing the door again.

We stood in the waiting room, not sure what to do. Rose sat down on one of the couches, and Brian joined her. Peasley and Fiamo were leaning against the door frame, Mario and Peach were sitting on the couch opposite of Brian and Rose, and Daisy and I were…well…standing near the door. Dimentio's voice laughed in his sing-song manner as another explosion vibrated the house. Daisy leaned against me, and I held her. The laugh turned into laughs of defeat and confusion. All the sudden the door exploded, and both men got out of the way of the debris before anyone got hurt.

Dimentio entered the room, laughing insanely. He raised his hands up, and before he could attack, Eugene suddenly tackled the jester and started punching him with darkness. Dimentio managed to get out of his prison, but Eugene bounced back, and roundhouse kicked him out of room, sending him into a wall. Wasting no time, Eugene pulled out his sword, and charged at him. Unfortunately, Dimentio disappeared and his sword stuck into the wall.

"Nice try, E." his voice lingered.

"I am Eugene!" he screamed. "No longer will I serve your empty lies!"

"My my… and to think we had this all planned out."

His presence faded, and Eugene collapsed on the ground. He stood up after a few seconds, but his knees gave way, and Peasley caught him before he crashed to the ground. He carried him into the room, and Brian and Rose moved to allow Eugene to rest there. Rose knelt down to him and started healing him, but he gently pushed her back.

"You'll kill yourself." He whispered.

"Trust me; I'm a nurse." She responded.

Eugene didn't fight anymore; he fell limp with exhaustion as Rose started healing him. He even used the help of wind to aid her. Once the act was done, Eugene sat up, and told Rose not to heal anyone for a few days to conserve her energy. He turned to Brian and apologized for snapping at him, saying that his only concern was keeping us alive.

"Did Dimentio do that little prison cell thing?" I asked.

Eugene nodded. "Since I couldn't get Rose to join the darkness, he tried to do it himself."

"Thank you." Rose whispered as she yawned.

Everyone silently agreed, and went in their own directions. Before Eugene left, I stopped him.

"Do you have a place to sleep?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I've been night watch for the past few nights. I don't need much sleep to function and fight anyways."

"No, go ahead and get some sleep tonight. You can take my place in the room Fiamo and I share. I'll sleep on the floor."

I nodded, and we both walked into the bedroom. Fiamo was thumbing through a magazine when we walked in. He smiled softly, and said that Eugene was more than welcome to stay with us. I set a pillow and blanket on the grounds, and set Luma by the pillow as I rubbed my eyes. Stifling a yawn, I walked into the restroom and changed into my sleepwear. Noticing a problem, I thumbed through what I had, and picked out a shirt and sweatpants in black, and tossed them to Eugene as I got out. He thanked me softly and went in to change.

"Can I say he's cute?" Fiamo asked looking at me from his reading.

"Aren't you dating Peasley?" I asked.

He nodded. "But he's gorgeous. I can still find other men cute, can't I? I find you cute as well, by the way."

I didn't answer. Fiamo laughed as I felt the heat in my face rise. I stretched out on the pad I made as Eugene came out. Without saying anything, he collapsed on the bed.

"That…is the fastest I have seen anyone fall asleep." I whispered.

Fiamo faced me. "You got to remember what he went through; he was abandoned by the only person who promised him anything and he fought him all on his own."

"I'm not asleep." Eugene mumbled as he turned to face Fiamo. "Just tired is all."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He didn't answer automatically. "Yeah…I'm just tired."

"You can tell us what is bugging you." Fiamo spoke lightly closing the magazine.

Eugene shook his head. I stood up and sat on the foot of the bed.

"C'mon, Genie." I made my voice falsetto. "Spill the beans, girl."

Fiamo absolutely lost it. He laughed harder than I had ever seen him laugh. Eugene snickered lightly and even laughed himself. Watching Fiamo's reaction made me laugh as well,

"I'll be alright, promise." Eugene finally answered. He sighed. "I just worry about Wendy. I got really close to her, then…"

"You found out about Waluigi." I finished the statement.

He shook his head as he sat up. "I'm glad she has him." He faced the two of us. "You have to promise me that you won't tell the others."

"No can do." Fiamo answered. "Wendy is too important to the group. I have never met her myself, but Peasley filled me in enough that I know her character and how much she means to these people. As Brian said earlier; we're all one big paranoid family. Wendy is a part of this family. If you have information, we'll call the rest in and we'll talk about it."

"Eugene…is it that bad that you can't tell the others?" I asked.

He nodded. "It is just I don't want the others to know what I think will happen; it is the last thing they need to hear…especially her sister. Please."

"Well…since it is only a suspicion." Fiamo finally agreed. "Let's hear it."

Eugene lowered his voice to a whispered. "I stated earlier that Wendy was getting weak because she had been fighting King Boo. The problem is that, last I saw her, she could barely stand on her own two feet she was so weak. She told me that she would never stop fighting…if she continues she could die. I know, for a fact, that that is what King Boo wants; he wants to remain in Wendy's body, and the only thing standing in his way is her spirit and will. He tried to have her kill Waluigi, but you got in the way, Luigi. I don't know how much longer we have to save her soul. Even as we rest for the fight, she could die on us soon. I care for her too much to relax and rest. She taught me that there is more to life than what I was told. She told me stories of her and her family while growing up and she told me a lot about her boyfriend. I feel that she put so much faith in me that if I fail to save her…"

He fell silent.

"We need to tell the others." Fiamo turned grave. "Brian told me that the sisters watched their Father get murdered. I bet that is what King Boo wants to do; kill Wendy in front of Rose. I know that this is only a fear, but this fear is too strong and too broad to be only held by one. Let's call an emergency meeting; this can't be ignored."

Eugene nodded. "Will you say it?"

"You should." I cut in. "No…you _need_ to. You are the last person to have contact with her, and I know that Rose and Waluigi will believe you."

* * *

I felt bad for Eugene, but he handled the situation well. I loved how he did it, too. He didn't address everyone in one, big speech. We all met in the Living Room (the first door as you come up the stairs), and he had Rose sit down on the couch. He sat down next to her, held her hands, and told her everything that he had told Fiamo and me. He told it with more compassion and care with her, knowing that at any moment the girl could snap or break. When he was talking about how much Wendy meant to him, his eyes filled with tears. He let them fall, but he fought not to cry out loud. Brian was standing behind Rose and his hands were resting on her shoulders lightly. Once he got through everything, the silence blanketed the mood. Rose gently bushed Brian's hands away, and tried so hard not to break down. Eugene held his arms out, not expecting to get a reaction. When Rose climbed into his lap, I think he was as shocked as everyone else. None the less, he held her in a warm embrace, telling her that he would do this for Wendy as well.

"If Wendy really does trust you this much, Eugene," Waluigi spoke approaching him. "I don't think we can afford to have any other choice. I trust you just as much as she does."

"We need to get her out of the layer if we have any kind of hope of saving her." Mario mused out loud.

"We go tonight." Eugene stood up, handing Rose back to Brian. "I can get back into the layer by wearing my cloak, act like nothing happened, and get Wendy out."

"How can we trust you?" Peasley spoke softly.

"I don't think we have a choice." I answered.

"Eugene…" Daisy walked up to him. "For the love of the gods, _please_ bring Wendy back. Even if this is some sort of sick trap, just bring her safely to us before you decide to stab us in the back."

He nodded. "Although…I can't do this alone."


	16. Chapter 16

It took us a few minutes to get out of our sleep wear and into traveling clothes, but after changing, Eugene handed us black cloaks, saying that after we put them on that we have to follow his instructions or the plan won't work. I zipped up the black cloak and slipped the leather gloves on.

"Why do we need to wear all of this?" Peach asked.

"So the darkness does not charm you." Eugene answered. "I need it to look like I did what Dimentio commanded me to before Luma persuaded me otherwise."

"I'm out of this." Mario spoke.

"If you don't cooperate, Wendy will die. I guarantee you."

Mario sighed, accepting the role.

"Now," Eugene instructed, "I need each one of you to stand completely still. If you move at all, it will take a lot more energy for me to get it out of you before the brainwashing spell actually happens."

Slowly, dark forces gathered in his hands and he slowly went through the line of us, placing the spell on our cloaks. As he left each person, the dark matter could be seen swirling around the cloak. I was the last person to go, and when he got to me, I backed away automatically. His eyes softened, and he reassured me that nothing bad would happen to me. I believed him…I really did; it's just my last experience with brainwashing magic was none too pleasant. He got closer, and I backed away again.

"Luigi, please." Eugene soothed. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"I'm scared, though." When I spoke, my voice cracked, and the fear was strong in my voice. "Please no…"

"Close your eyes, then."

"That won't help me."

"Can I touch him?" Mario asked, "Or would the darkness hurt him?"

"The cloak will protect him." Eugene answered.

My brother (I could tell from the body type) walked over to me, and held my hand. I could feel his caring and concerned gaze thorough his hood. I nodded, and held my brother's hand as hard as I could as I felt Eugene's hands on my arms. I jerked slightly, but he reassured me that the movement was too minor, and that if I felt weird to let him know.

"Does fear and paranoia count?" I asked.

Eugene shook his head. "You're fine."

"Luma." I spoke lightly. "Luma need stay here. Protect Tall Purple Man's house."

"No." Lump piped as he (carefully) exited my cloak.

"Then fix the room I sleep in for Nice Doctor Lady." Waluigi added himself in the conversation.

"Kay Kay." He answered (slowly entering my hood) as he kissed my nose. "Luma love Mama."

"Mama love Luma." I answered.

"Luma also think about offer while Mama gone."

I didn't have time to react as Eugene distracted me, saying that it was time to go. Slowly, we all filed out of the house and made our way to the seal as Eugene explained the plan. The reason we were wearing the cloaks was not only to protect us from the dark influences, but to show that Eugene (Mr. E for this skit) did what Dimentio asked him to; capture all of us and brainwash us into the dark arts. He told us that we would be assigned different tasks; one person might be cleaning while the other person is torturing other people. Peach voiced her concern for the torturing act, and Eugene said that he would take that job, making the excuse that we still were too strong and that we could break out of the darkness.

Each one of us questioned him, making sure that the plan was ironed out and that we were prepared for anything that would happen. The only people that would have access to the room where Wendy stayed were Mr. E and whoever was on cleaning duty. That part was hammered out until it was practically flawless, and he continued to explain these ideas and fix and edit them when we got to the seal. All conversations were cut off as Eugene opened a dark portal. One by one, we filed in.

Unlike last time, I wasn't dizzy and confused when I exited to portal. I think the cloak protected me from it. Soon we were standing in front of a white castle, made of pure ice. The temperature drastically dropped. After making sure everyone knew every phase of the plan, Eugene slipped back into the role of Mr. E and told us to follow him, making dark matter appear in his hand as we walked in. As he stepped up to the door, it opened for him. Once we were all inside, Dimentio suddenly appeared.


	17. Chapter 17

"I thought-" he cut himself off when he saw what work Mr. E had done. "Wow…I didn't think you could do it."

"I told you I had everything in control." He smirked. "You just have no faith in me."

Dimentio laughed manically. "Excellent work, Mr. E! We'll get these newbies to work. Do they have names?"

"Mr. L." I spoke completely breaking everything we had planned. One of the things we didn't have planned was an "evil villain" name for us. Improving off the top of my head, I went down the line. "Mastermind (Mario), Lily (Daisy), Chaos (Waluigi), Wrath (Rose), Cherry Blossom (Peach), Agony (Brian), Bloodlust (Peasley), and Firecaster (Fiamo)."

Mr. E gestured to me, and I pretended to get hit by darkness and landed on one knee. I stayed that way for a few seconds before standing up fully again.

"We'll…work on names later." Dimentio said.

"I had to have something to bond them to." E spoke.

"I know; you did an excellent job!" Dimentio praised, "Now, let's assign jobs. Lily," Daisy slightly raised her head. "Kitchen duty with Cherry Blossom."

Both girls nodded.

"Wrath and Agony, weapon care." They nodded slightly. "Mastermind and Chaos, I will guide you to the library and give you instructions there."

Mario and Waluigi nodded as well.

"Wrath, Bloodlust and Firecaster; all three of you will report to the washroom."

"What about Mr. L?" E asked.

"You just added to his bond, no?" E nodded, answering Dimentio's question. "I think you can handle him. Go check on Wendy; I know she's about to give in soon. Help out any way that you can."

I felt the slight tension pass through all of us, but I nodded slightly. We were dismissed, and I followed E quietly.

"Thanks for covering my ass out there." He whispered as we ascended into the second floor.

"They were terrible names." I answered.

"Better than nothing; I probably would have said the same thing."

We walked to the door, and Eugene knocked on the ice door three times, then two, then three again. Wendy opened the door. Lack of energy was carved into her eyes as she ushered us in. She closed the door behind her, and fell to her knees. King Boo unattached himself from her, making the poor girl collapse on her side, practically lifeless.

"End her life." He barked at me. "I will be back in a few minutes."

With that, he disappeared. Taking a deep breath, Eugene helped me tear the cloak off. Taking the charm off of it, I wrapped Wendy in it. She tried to fight against it, but he hushed her.

"I…I thought you left for good." Wendy whispered weak and tired.

"Why would I leave you here to die?" he asked as I handed the girl to him. "Besides, I have a promise to fulfill."

"Get ready, Gadd." I whispered to him through the earpiece (I had forgotten I had it until the planning came around).

"Ready when you are, sonny." He answered softly. "Just give me the signal."

I gave a thumbs-up to Eugene, and he winked at me as he comforted Wendy, saying that she had to cooperate with him in order for her to be set free. She nodded, and lay limp in his arms. My heart raced, but I realized that this was the plan he had all along with her. Eugene gave the cloak back to me, and I placed it on again. Saying that I didn't want the darkness around me again, we started to head out.

"Wonderful!" King Boo reentered. "Now, hold her still."

I jerked, and shook my head,

"Where…am I?" I spoke.

Suddenly King Boo let out a horrific screech.

"You don't have a ton of time." Gadd spoke. "Run."

"Catch you later, sucker." Eugene said as we both got through the door.

The rest of the crew was sprinting out of the castle in a mad scramble. Some weapons were drawn, and the roar of Bonechill echoed through the chambers. Eugene and I rode the handrail down the stairs, and I punched a guard in the face as I hit the ground. I let my green flames loose and melted the ice enemies as we ran. As I did this, I felt the ground under me begin to give way. Knowing what this meant, we sprinted harder and faster than we ever had. I felt ice pieces give way under my feet, and I knew that Eugene was having a harder time. I turned, took Wendy from him, and ran as hard as I could, possibly harder.

As the ice castle crumbled on top of itself, I managed to slide out of the castle. A piece of debris fell, blocking the escape for Eugene. In a panic, Mario threw fire at the barricade, and it instantly melted, allowing Eugene to (barely) escape a death by falling ice shards. I managed to get Wendy inside my jacket, trying to keep her warm while we walked through the portal one again. I didn't feel Wendy get nauseous once we got out of the portal, so I believe that the cloak shielded her.

We walked to the house, and Eugene lifted the dark power off the cloaks one by one, telling the people to take them off afterwards. Once we got inside the house, I shed the cloak off of myself and Wendy. I checked her pulse as I sat her down on the couch in the living room, confirming with the others that she was alive. Waluigi walked over to me, and placed a hand against her face. With the other free hand, he pulled out the glasses case. I opened it for him, and stepped back as he gently slipped them on her head. She opened her eyes slowly, and big tears swelled in her tired eyes when she saw him.

"Am…" she whispered weakly. "Am I free?"

"I'm sorry this took longer than I had planned." Eugene spoke. "Here he is, as I promised."

Waluigi sat down, and gently pulled her into his lap. She sobbed in his arms openly, knowing that her terrible nightmare was over. She looked up again, and he smiled softly at her, mentioning that her sister was worried about her. Rose walked over to Wendy, and fought the urge to start crying.

"Go ahead, sis." Wendy whispered. "I am."

The sisters held each other for a while, Rose soothing Wendy. After a short bit, Waluigi and Wendy were back in each other's arms.

"Eugene…thank you so much." She whispered softly.

"Thank you." He answered. "You and Luma taught me that there was more to life than serving Dimentio."

"I'm glad I could help."

"Rest." Waluigi whispered. "You are too weak."

She nodded slowly, and was soon sleeping in his arms. He carried her into the room he stayed in, and walked out again, reassuring Rose that he wouldn't be doing anything to her sister. She laughed lightly and told him that she trusted him. Everyone went their separate ways: Mario and Peach were sleeping in their room, Peasley and Fiamo were talking lightly in Peasley's, Brian was reading a book while Rose was listening to music and relaxing in the room they shared, Eugene said that he would keep watch and Luma insisted that he helped.

I stretched out on the bed, yawning softly. Daisy was already trying to sleep in her own bed, and whispered 'good night' to me as I turned out the light. Of course, this is me, and I turned on a small light right after. I whispered back to Daisy and I got under my covers, closing my eyes and finally relaxing. A few minutes later, I felt Daisy's hand on my face.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked softly.

She kissed me. "No."

I kissed her back, and she snuggled against me. Knowing I really couldn't fight back, I held her close to me, feeling her relax.

We both fell asleep in each other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

The next few days were dedicated to resting and getting back to proper health (mainly for Wendy). The poor girl could have slept through two days if Waluigi wouldn't wake her up in order to eat. She had lost a lot of weight, but Luma and I made sure that she got enough to eat throughout the day even if she wasn't hungry. Even with her lack of energy, she would participate any way that she could. She would listen to Peasley's musical pieces, talk lightly with the princesses, and even color pictures with Luma (once she got the energy). After a few days, it seemed like she was never tortured at all. She would lose her energy quickly, but she would rebound after a few minutes of rest.

"Wendy, can I ask you something?" Fiamo asked after introducing himself.

"I can tell you have been hanging with my sister; you're too polite to be a pirate." Wendy laughed. "Yes, go on ahead."

"Well, Brian warned me to be polite or Rose would correct me." Wendy laughed again. "So, all the different outfits King Boo put you in…which one was your favorite?"

"Favorite? I hated them all. I had never felt so used in my life."

"I know, but I was just wondering."

"Well, I hated the fact that he put me in them. I liked most of the outfits; I just wished they covered more of me than they did."

"I bet Waluigi liked all of them." Peasley teased.

"I was more mortified than anything else." Waluigi answered.

The door opened slightly, and Mario stood up. He sat down again when he saw Gadd enter. We all said hello to him, and he greeted us back. He asked me to step out of the room for us to talk in private, and I followed obediently. As he closed the door, I saw his eyes light with happiness.

"Has Luma made a decision yet?" he asked happily.

I fought with myself not to cry. "Not yet." I answered. "I don't think he will until this whole nightmare is completely over."

He knew.

"Is something amiss?" he asked softly.

"Just a lot has happened the past few days."

"Well, after this is all said and done, you and the little feller can come to the lab and we can get the transformation under way." I nodded. "Oh, this is for you." He handed me a decently sized box. "I decided that you would need it again since you were dealing with King Boo."

I slowly opened it, and burst into laughter at the sight inside. Slowly I took the Poltergeist 3000 out of the box and strapped it on. It felt like a part of me had returned; it wasn't like I missed it so much I was crying about it. I remembered how much it meant to me when I was searching for my brother. This was the only thing I had put faith into…my only friend, if one looks at it that way. I thanked the professor, and we walked back in.

"The one thing we need to focus on the most is how we are capturing King Boo." Gadd opened the conversation.

"He's not the only problem." Wendy spoke next. "There is Dimentio and Bonechill; they will do anything to get me back on their side."

"I don't think so." Eugene countered standing. "They already opened the seal with you; the only way for the seal to be closed is if the powers that opened it close it again in addition to others. Yes, they will do anything to stop the both of us, but there are the others they have to worry about."

"This might sound crazy, but I believe that we need to rid of King Boo first." Mario spoke lightly. "He was pretty pissed when we got away with Wendy."

A light of glee flickered in Rose's eyes. She looked at Wendy and smirked.

"I have an idea…" Rose cut in. "A wonderful and cruel idea."

* * *

After we went through Rose's plan about five times to make sure everyone got it down, I walked out of the house with the Poltergeist 3000 on my back. I walked slowly so Wendy could keep up with me. After fighting with her sister for about three hours, Wendy finally gave in and decided to wear yet another costume that King Boo would have put her in. I saved the day by pulling out an outfit that I wore when I had to get into the Shroob-invested castle.

Yup; the gypsy outfit was making a comeback.

Although we had to edit the outfit a lot for it to seem like something King Boo would make Wendy wear (and the color of the fabrics), she was able to walk in it comfortably. To her relief, she didn't have to wear the heels I had to when I wore them; she was wearing a pair of black flats. Peach and Daisy attacked her with a make-up kit, and she was wearing a lot of dark eye shadow around her eyes to make her looked possessed. The red lipstick was applied, but dulled down thanks to the purple face veil. Her hair was done up (thanks to Peasley), and she wasn't wearing her glasses.

I carried a pair with me, and an extra in the Poltergeist 3000 just in case.

We got to the location of the seal, and I felt the fear enter Wendy. She cringed slightly, and I held her hand for comfort. After a few reassuring words between us, we set the plan into action.

Thanks to her weariness of hitting me when she couldn't see, we had choreographed a fight scene between her and me. We had practiced and practiced until it became natural for us, and the actions and lines seem to fall out and land perfectly in place. Her evil laugh was well rehearsed as well; it sounded like King Boo had never left her. I dodged ice and she dodged flames, and we were both breaking into a sweat when Dimentio appeared.

"That will be enough." He spoke to Wendy.

"He almost ruined the plan." Wendy spun around, doing the best that she could to make eye contact with him. "That stupid vacuum device almost tore me away."

"No need for the temper, King Boo; everything is going as planned. You are exhausted; allow me to handle the green one."

"I got this, Dimentio."

She faced me again, and we almost broke into phase 2 of the choreography when a screech stopped us short. The real King Boo appeared next to Dimentio, and I quickly handed Wendy her glasses. She spun around and threw ice at the two villains, but they dodged with ease. Just as planned, the rest of the group (minus the princesses and Gadd) joined in the fight, distracting Dimentio as I ran after King Boo. Knowing from experience, I tossed the flashlight out of my pocket and grabbed the nozzle, aiming it at him. He laughed a wicked cruel laugh.

"I am not afraid of you; only the machine you carry on your back. I will fight you like a true Boo!" he hollered at me.

It took a few tries, but I managed to tie him to the whirlwind of the vacuum. Unlike last time, however, he was much stronger, and there were a few moments of fear that I thought I would lose him. I almost did, but a helpful wind pushed him towards me again, and we were at the fight again. He let out a terrible screech as his strength gave way, and submitted to the Poltergeist 3000.

Cloaking my hands with flames, I joined in the fight with the others. Dimentio was firing explosives, and Mario was dodging them with ease as he fired flames at the jester. Rose was casting wind spells, throwing him off balance and guard as Waluigi fired water at him. It would soak him and the temperature would freeze the water to him. Fiamo was shooting arrows at him, and all the sudden he disappeared. We waited a few more minutes, and decided that the fighting was all over. We all put our weapons away and started heading back. Everyone was talking softly to one another, saying how well the plan worked out. I was thinking of the best way to get the Poltergeist 3000 back to Professor Gadd when my train of thought was cut off.

It all happened in one swift movement. Hearing someone running, I looked up and saw Fiamo sprinting towards Peasley. Before any of us could understand what was happening, he pushed the prince, sending him in the air. Just as Peasley landed, a golden, translucent cube imprison Fiamo. Knowing what this meant, Peasley pulled out his sword and tried to open the prison before anything happened. Dimentio appeared above him, and shot at Peasley. He flew back, and hit the ground a good few feet away. Gently, the jester floated down and sat down on top of Fiamo's prison.

"Leave him alone!" Peasley screamed.

He laughed. "And why should I do that?"

The box started to condense, and Fiamo curled into a ball, trying not to get smashed. Realizing that he could stand, he stood up again, but the box had shaped itself into a rectangle, so he couldn't sit anymore. He leaned his hands against the glass, defeat flooding his eyes.

"Let him go!" Brian shouted.

He laughed a maniacal laugh as he disappeared again.

"I'll save you!" Peasley was crying. "I promise!"

The pirate nodded, and he disappeared in a flash.


	19. Chapter 19

We got back to the house in one piece…well…most of us. Brian was soothing Peasley as Waluigi and I walked in. We warned the others about Fiamo, and they knew the intensity and delicacy of the situation at hand. Luma hugged the prince as he and Brian walked in. He didn't say anything; he just nuzzled under his chin and dimmed his light. He didn't leave his side for the whole night. The only time he left was to ask for my handkerchief. When I handed it to him, he handed it to Peasley, and he instantly broke. He buried his face in the cloth, trying his best to drown his misery into it. When he pulled the cloth away from his face, I was sitting next to him and held his hands.

"Why…why am I crying?" he asked confusion and sadness in his voice.

"Love." Luma answered softly.

"You're scared for him." I answered handing him a fresh handkerchief. "You know that he can fight for himself, but that doesn't reassure your heart that everything will be alright."

He nodded, understanding what I meant and thanking me. He let Luma wipe a few tears away with it, and he chuckled lightly when there were too many tears for the little guy to keep track of. He took the cloth from Luma and buried his eyes with it again, shuddering with sadness and fighting not to cry. He looked at me after a few seconds, and asked if we could go save him. I advised that we wait for him to calm down.

"I can't wait!" he snapped at me. Luma hid behind me, scared. "I am terrified for him! I never had anyone care and treat me the way he did. No one knows how much he means to me! If he dies…I don't know what I would do without him. I had never felt like this before; I told him that. He sat me down and explained everything to me. As he was talking to me, I realized that he wasn't acting the way he was because I was royalty…he _genuinely loved me_. I know that I can't find what I have with him with anyone else! If I wait, he will die! No one else will save him! He'll-"

I cut him off by smacking him across the face. A few tense moments passed. He sat back down, placing his hand where I hit him. I knelt down to his height, and waited a few seconds before speaking.

"If you went in the condition you are in now, you would get killed." I answered. "I know that you are scared for him; Dimentio won't do anything to him until you are there. I am speaking from personal experience, Peasley; the only thing Dimentio wants is to see people suffer. He did this when he combined my power with the Chaos Heart. He wanted to emotionally destroy Mario so he couldn't fight. He was completely alone when it happened. If it weren't for Bowser and Peach, he would have too upset to think straight. I think the worst thing that could happen to you is for you to get killed in front of Fiamo's eyes when he is imprisoned and can't defend you."

He nodded, understanding. It was about an hour before he could think straight. When he was able to, he sent Luma to get me (I was downstairs at the time). He piped at me, and I headed upstairs again, carrying a tray of fresh cookies. I offered one to him, and he thanked me, taking one. He nibbled on it lightly as Luma munched away on his second one. I went around the house, not only offering the cookies but informing the others that Peasley was going after Fiamo. I went to return the tray into the kitchen, and Peasley was sitting at the table, waiting on me. He stood up, and asked if I would join him on his quest.

"Absolutely." I answered. "Do you want anyone else to go?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that it'll be too much to handle if the others join."

I nodded. We grabbed our winter equipment, and Luma hid in my hat, saying that he was coming whether Princely Bean Man liked it or not. Peasley laughed lightly, thanking him. Eugene approached us, and told us that he could teleport us to the lair. After thinking for a few moments, Peasley accepted his offer, and we both walked in the dark portal, determination and fear within our hearts.

* * *

We stepped out into the cold, and Peasley's sadness turned his face grave with seriousness. After asking if I was ready, I nodded and we entered the ice palace. Even though a lot of work was done in it, signs of our last visit were still here. The main chandelier that used to hang in the entry hall was still smashed on the ground and it being beyond repair. The guards saw us, but paid us no mind.

Strange…

Peasley noticed it as well, and upped his guard by resting his right hand on his sword. I tapped the flames in me, and held it as we walked through the halls.

"Your flames are giving off heat." Peasley said lightly.

"I imagine that Fiamo will be freezing in here." I answered. "Besides, it is better than electricity."

He nodded in agreement as we wandered around the castle, unsure of the path to take. I noticed a secret door that was propped open, and Peasley and I went down through it. It led to one of the creepiest rooms in the ice palace. Everything in the room was made of stone and iron. Every surface imaginable was bathed in a layer of ice. It was extremely dark as well. Sensing my discomfort, Luma lifted my hat and let off his bright light. The ice-covered iron spikes were hanging ominously above us. I felt Peasley start to slow down, and I rested my hand on his shoulder in reassurance, mentioning that Fiamo was waiting for his prince to rescue him. Nodding and thanking me for the emotional boost, we continued down the corridor.

When the light at the end of the room got bright enough for us to see, Luma hid back in my hat dimming his light in the process. We stayed within the shadows as we entered the bottom level of dungeons. Unlike the others we went through; the room had no dungeon cells. All it had were sets of hand cuffs hanging off the brick walls. Of course, there was ice covering the surfaces. The light source was a small fire on one side of the room; it gave enough light to see the end of the room, but was too small to give off any heat. One set of cuffs were chained to the ground instead of the wall. I felt the fear enter Peasley as he saw Fiamo trying to stay warm. Those chains were on his wrists, and he was breathing into his hands. He started to shiver violently as tears started to fall from his face. The cold air started to freeze them, but he brushed them away, making the metal clank against the ice. We waited a few minutes before moving into the room. I cast a light fire spell on Fiamo, and he shivered harder, trying to get warm. Slowly, my green flame bathed him in warmth and comfort, and he looked up. The happiness and relief that flooded Fiamo's eyes at the sight of his Prince is a sight I will never forget. I stood watch as Peasley dashed to him. He tore off his coat and gave it to him, trying everything he could to keep him warm. I heard Fiamo start to sob in happiness as Peasley picked the locks.

"No need to cry, Fi." Peasley soothed finally releasing the final lock. "I'm here to protect you and save you from the cold."

Fiamo took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. He told me that I could release the flames around him, and I did. Fiamo said something else, but I didn't catch it; a light was distracting me.

"We've got trouble." I spoke gravely.

"Get Eugene to get us out of here." Peasley commanded. "Maybe the portal will be opened soon enough."

"His magic won't reach here." Fiamo answered. "Not in time."

So we need to get out of here in order to get back…lovely.

Both Peasley and Fiamo drew their weapons (apparently Fiamo carries a dagger with him) as Dimentio appeared in the middle of the room. Using the communicator, I informed Gadd that we had Fiamo, but we ran into trouble. When he got the message, I let the flames cloak my hands. Dimentio laughed as he raised his hands, and the entire chamber started to erupt in violent explosions. The first thing to collapse was the door frame, blocking our only exit. I screamed the problem at Gadd, and he responded that Eugene could get a portal down there, but it could take a while for the magic to get there. Even though the room was collapsing all around us, Dimentio still fought us. He made more explosions occur, speeding up the destruction of the castle. I shot flames at him, but he dodged with ease, laughing at me in the process. The ceiling started to break apart.

"Ciao, my enemies." Dimentio spoke softly as the ice from the ceiling started to fall to the ground.

Before he disappeared, he shot one more explosion at the ceiling. Fiamo shoved Peasley out of the way, and before any of us could comprehend the consequences, the ceiling collapsed on top of him.

"Fiamo!" Peasley screamed in terror.

The room continued to collapse as I blasted the pile of ice on the ground, melting it instantly. I helped Peasley get Fiamo in his arms, and the blood that decorated his body was horrifying. I blasted another piece of ice that was about to fall on us, causing it to only be a rush of cold water. We managed to get to the side of the room, trying to defend ourselves from the falling ice shards. I blasted more and more ice as the entire castle was crumbling into the room. The ceiling just above us was caving, and we both knew that time was short. Fiamo tried to move, but Peasley held him, saying that he needed to conserve his energy in order to get through the portal.

As he said that, it appeared a few feet away. I screamed for Peasley to go first, and he didn't argue with me. Carrying Fiamo in his arms like a child, he made it to the portal and fell through. I felt hands grab me and pull me through the floor. I landed on top of my brother as Eugene closed the portal. Quickly, I stood up and sprinted towards Peasley. Tearing off my jacket and grabbing the blue bandana Brian gave me a while back, I wadded it up and added pressure to Fiamo's bleeding chest. Both sisters went into immediate action. Wendy got warm water and started cleaning the blood off of his face. After moving out of the way, Rose removed the bandana and asked me to melt the ice that was still in his chest. She applied pressure to the now-bleeding wound.

"Fi, look at me." Peasley spoke lightly. Fiamo slowly opened his eyes. "You're safe now; everything will be alright. I promise."

"Peasley…" he whispered. "I can't…go on."

"Don't talk like that! You're going to be fine." Peasley shouted tears stinging his eyes.

"The pain…" Fiamo hissed. "It's too much for me."

"You'll live! Rose and Wendy will keep you alive."

Wendy pulled out a heart monitor and tossed the power cord to Waluigi. He went to the other side of the room and plugged it in as she hooked it up to Fiamo's chest. It started going off; the heat beat was normal, but very soft. Slowly, Fiamo raised his hand, and I helped him place it on Peasley's face. They had a few moments of silence between each other. Fiamo closed his eyes, and Peasley began to panic.

"Keep your eyes open." Rose commanded. Slowly, he opened his eyes and tears filled them. He blinked, trying to clear them away. "I don't care if they're filled with tears; they need to stay open. You blinking could very well exhaust you."

"There is…no hope…for me." Fiamo whispered.

"Fiamo." Brian spoke. Both pirates shared eye contact for a moment. "…us crewmates gotta stick together through times of eventide and rough seas. You can't leave a man out to do a mission by himself."

Fiamo tried to speak, but instead he coughed. Peach propped his head up with a couch pillow and Daisy was holding Luma, who was staying silent through the entire episode. Peasley squeezed his hand, tears falling faster from his eyes. Slowly, he raised his hand to his lips and kissed it.

"You…you have to fight." Peasley was trying to hold himself together. "I love you too much. Please…please fight for me."

"My Prince…" Fiamo whispered. "Don't…don't cry."

"I can't help it. You're everything to me. You were the first person to like me…for me." They made eye contact. "Everyone has only gotten close to me because I was royalty. No one took the time to get to know who I was as a person. That…that's why…" Fiamo held his hand tighter. A few seconds passed. "That's why I told you how I felt. I was afraid that this was a dream; that _you_ were a dream. The dream that we want to chase after all this is over…it would die with you. Please, don't give up."

"Can I…say something?" they both fell silent. "I…want…to thank you for everything…you have done for me. I won't last…much longer." He hissed in pain, and Peasley held his hand tighter as the tears fell faster. I helped Fiamo sit up and have his rest on Peasley's lap. "You…you mean so much to me. I will…always…love you, no matter how… far apart we are."

"Then why won't you fight?"

"My dad…his arms are open. He wants me to come to him. He…said that he would wait for me…and…and when I came, he would greet me with open arms. I see…I see him, Peasley. I see him." He was crying. "Tears…there are tears in his eyes…he's waiting for me…I can't fight. I can't… Peasley…be strong…for me? I don't want…to leave this place…and see you crying…"

Peasley dried the tears on his face, and held him closer.

"Fiamo." Wendy spoke lightly. "We are all one big family. We are your brothers and sisters away from home. We all love you with the same intensity as Peasley."

"Red Head Pirate friend." Luma purred from Daisy's arms.

"Thank you…everyone. Thank you, my…sweet Prince…" He whispered softly and looked up at the ceiling, extending his arm out like he was reaching for someone. "Dad…I'm ready. Make…this pain…go…"

"You can't leave me!" Peasley screamed. "Fiamo, please!"

Fiamo sighed and fell limp in Peasley's arms. The heart meter fell to nothing; only the solid green line showed up and the continuous sound echoed through the room. Everything stopped; no one moved.

"Fi…" Peasley whispered. "Please…wake up."

No answer.

"…Fiamo?" Slowly, he rested Fiamo on the couch, and shook his shoulder. "C'mon; stop this. Wake up."

I watched as the fear and truth possessed him. He stopped shaking him, and he was breaking faster. More tears erupted from Peasley's eyes after he checked his pulse.

"No…" he whispered. "No…no…no no no! Fiamo! My Fiamo!"

This would be the first time anyone saw Prince Peasley cry openly in pain and fear. He absolutely shattered, finally giving up all hope as he collapsed on his knees, bawling. I went to him and stood a few feet away. Peasley stood up and let lose all his sadness and misery as I gathered him in my arms.

"Fiamo!" he screamed in pain. "Oh my god, my Fiamo, why?! Fi…My Fiamo…"

"He's not in pain anymore, Peasley." I tried to soothe as I finally started crying.

He lifted his head to shout something at me, but Luma distracted him. I looked over, and the little guy was pulling a white sheet over Fiamo's body. Before he covered the face, he set the sheet down looking at Peasley. Nodding, he walked over to Fiamo's body, and placed his hand on his now pale face. He tiled his head so it was facing him, and kissed him lightly and slowly. When he pulled back, he moved his hand away, closing his eyes. Luma covered it with the sheet.

"Mr. Princely Bean Man." Luma spoke. Peasley looked up at him, tears on his face. "…Luma sorry."

The little guy was fighting so hard not to cry. His eyes swelled with tears, and Peasley held out his hands to him. Slowly, Luma rested in Peasley's hands as he placed him over his heart, clutching him.

A stifled sob came from Brian as he covered his face with his bandana…and that set it off for him. He tried to fight it off, but it was too powerful for him. He burst into an uncontrollable fit of tears at the death of his best friend.

"He…he was all I had." Brian sobbed fighting to regain control. "He was my only friend on the _Teacup_…"

He fell to his knees and Rose pulled him in, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Seeing Brian break was hard for everyone; there were tears in Eugene's eyes and he let them fall. Waluigi was holding Wendy, and her glasses were in her hand. I could see Mario clenching his jaw, fighting with every part of his being as he soothed Peach while Luma was soothing Daisy. Rose started to break, and Brian was trying his best to comfort her despite the pain he was going through.

"Brian." Peasley whispered. "Thank you so much for…for introducing him to me. He…he changed everyone here…just by being himself."

"He is a part of the family that will be missed dearly." Waluigi spoke as he comforted Brian as well.

"Peasley…" Wendy spoke through stutters. "It's my fault. We had…never lost a patient until…"

"No; it wasn't you at all. You and Rose did what you could. It was Dimentio." Peasley countered fighting not to cry again. "That bastard wanted to weaken us by killing one of our family members. It will be hard for Brian and I to adjust to this loss, but I think that this…this pain, this misery…should be remembered. For me, this fight is no longer just for the protection of the kingdom. It is no longer just a fight for the existence of life as we know it…this is now a full-out revenge scheme. Not only did Dimentio almost kill Wendy, but he almost had Peach and Daisy freeze to death out in the ice. He used his magic and tore my heart to shreds! This is not a fight for freedom; I want to justify Fiamo's death! That bastard took the most important thing to me and murdered it! No longer will I see his smile… No longer will I hear his laugh… I'll never feel him hold me and tell me that he loves me. Dimentio robbed me of my happiness and shredded it to pieces, taking his life away from me! Fiamo was everything to me, and that monster just killed him without as much as a blink! I swear, by my Fiamo's grave…that that son of a bitch will die for what he has done to me!"

By then, Peasley had worn himself out. He stood in the middle of the room, breathing deep as more tears fell from his face. Slowly, I walked to him and I held him in a gentle embrace. He hugged me back, burying his face into my shoulder as he sobbed. Knowing what I had to do, I literally swept him off his feet, and carried him upstairs into his room.

"Will you be alright?" I asked him softly as I sat him down on his bed.

He shook his head, and asked me to stay with him. I told him I would, and I grabbed a nearby book that was setting on the shelf. I sat down in the office chair as Peasley stretched out on his bed.

"Luigi?" Peasley asked. "What do I do now?"

"Try to relax." I answered softly. "Do you want a glass of water?"

He nodded, and I walked into the private restroom that was attached to the bedroom. I came back with a glass of cold water, handing it to him. Slowly, he drank from the glass as hot tears drenched his face. He polished off the drink and set it on the end table nearby. I pulled back the covers for him, and tucked him in like I would Luma every night. Peasley sighed, misery cloaking his voice.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep." I told him as I went back to my seat.

"Thank you, Luigi." He answered.


	20. Chapter 20

"Peasley, can I come in?" I knocked on his door as I spoke softly.

I waited a few seconds, and decided to come in. Peasley was sitting on the side of his bed, looking down at his feet. Tears fell freely and hit the ground and his socks. He was out of his normal attire and was wearing a baggy grey sweatshirt and black sweatpants. His arms were wrapped around him, trying to keep himself warm. He coughed lightly as I approached him. Silently, I handed him a cup of hot chocolate. He closed his eyes and more tears, not moving. Slowly I moved his hands and gave it to him anyways. He took a short drink, wiping the whipped cream off of his lip. He handed it back to me, but I silently pushed it back. He held it in his hands, looking down again.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" I asked softly.

He shook his head and slowly drank from the cup. He shivered again, and I stood up. Grabbing a blanket from the trunk at the foot of the bed, I draped it on his back. He handed me the cup, and I took it as he wrapped the blanket around him. He coughed again as he took the drink. As he was taking another sip, I turned to leave.

"Wait." He spoke quietly. I turned and faced him. "Please…stay."

"Why don't you come downstairs?" I offered. "It's much warmer."

"Is he…?" he was breaking apart.

I rested my hand on top of his head. "He's now upstairs in my room; Eugene moved him while we were asleep."

"Where were you and Daisy staying last night? And where will you stay now?"

He stood up and I wrapped my arm around him, giving him one of those awkward side hugs. "Well, I accidently fell asleep in the chair in here last night. Daisy crashed the party in Mario and Peach's room. We'll probably stay in those rooms until we get everything settled."

"We all know that Mario parties hard." Peasley spoke sarcastically. "But don't sleep in the chair; it's bad for your posture."

I laughed lightly, and ushered him downstairs while telling him that I would sleep on the floor. Once in the kitchen, Brian joined us. He greeted us softly as he grabbed a cup from the cabinet. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"How are you holding?" Peasley asked him.

"Eh." He answered as he set his glass on the table and grabbed the hot pot of hot chocolate that was simmering on the stove. He spoke while pouring some in his. "I'm a little better after speaking with Wendy and Eugene. Want some?"

Peasley nodded, and Brian filled his. Brian set the pot back on the stove and grabbed the cream. After he put a spoonful on his, he offered to Peasley, but he politely declined. Once he put everything away, he held the mug in his hands.

"I want Dimentio to die a terrible death." Peasley spat suddenly.

"I do as well." Brian answered trying to calm him down. "We all want to. But…the thing is that he is too strong for us." He paused, and I knew that he was looking for the right words. "If he could to this much damage to us in only a few attacks, I don't want to see him at his full potential. Peach told me about the Chaos Heart ordeal that she, Mario and Luigi dealt with the last time had ran into Dimentio; I pray that I never see that kind of magic against someone…not in the way that Luigi was treated."

"Thank you." I said.

We spoke for about an hour about the next plan of action we should take, but it got us absolutely nowhere. The main debate was if we should go after Bonechill or Dimentio first. Once in a while, Peasley would fall silent and sigh softly. Getting an idea, I excused myself, and left the kitchen. I walked back upstairs and into the room Fiamo and Peasley shared before everything happened. I knelt down and pulled out a small chest from under Fiamo's old bed. Opening it, I only grabbed two roses; a red one and a yellow one. Setting them to the side, I closed the chest and hid it back under the bed.

I returned into the kitchen and slightly shifted the chair Peasley was in. He asked if he needed to move, and I told him no. I turned him slightly, and I moved my chair across from him.

"Can I show you something?" I asked him. "Something he showed me?"

Peasley nodded slowly, and I pulled out the first rose; the yellow one.

"Hold onto this for me." Slowly, Peasley grabbed it. "When I was scared and upset for Daisy, he showed this to me."

"But-"

"Don't interrupt." He fell silent. "Look at the rose. You can touch it lightly if you want to." Confused, Peasley gently grazed his hands across the petals of the rose. "Do you see how fragile it is? The smallest things can morph and warp it."

I handed him the other one. Unlike the other one, the red one was fully in bloom while the yellow was only in the baby stages of opening up. I set the yellow one on the table, and saw Brian and Wendy out of the corner of my eye. I held Peasley's hand steady, trying to reassure him to not break.

"Gently feel the petals now." I whispered. He did so, and they bent farther and easier. "As your heart grows with compassion and love, it gets weaker. Kind of a bitch if you think about it." He snickered lightly. "Then, all the sudden, something happens, and this is what your heart does."

Just as Fiamo did with me, I clapped the bud, completely destroying the flower. Peasley looked at it in horror. Once I removed my hands, the red rose was crumpled and basically dead. "Me clapping the bud was the shock and devastation of the loss of your loved one. Right now, we are in this stage." I continued talking as I pulled a petal off of the stem one at a time, waiting for the petal to hit the surface of the table before pulling another one. "You torture your heart as you think of how you can't live without him until you live no more." Slowly, I picked up the petals and handed them to him, taking the stem and throwing it over my shoulder. "You now hold your heart in your hands. There is no way you can get it back on the old stem and have it flourish the way it once did. The elegance it had is now lost. At the same time, you are holding Fiamo's heart. I know, deep inside, that he didn't want to leave. He knew that he had to, right now, he is holding your heart as well, loving it just as much as if it were still a rose.

"Love your heart as much as you loved Fiamo. I know he has passed on; your heart will carry that weight for the rest of its life. Love him just as much as if he were alive. He _is_ alive; he lives in you. Just as you explained to him while he was dying; he was everything to you. Still prize it and cherish it even though it is broken and not worth a pretty penny to anyone else. Eventually, your heart will recover, and a new rose will be planted when you meet a new guy. That rose will not have that elegance or shine to it that you had with Fiamo, but that is no excuse to plant new roses of friendships and possible relationships."

He nodded lightly as he held the petals in his hands for a while. "It will be hard to get my heart repaired, but that's what my family is for; my family away from home…" I looked at him in concern. "Can I…be alone for a minute? I want to think."

"Sure. Let me know if you need anything." He nodded again, and I stood up. "Oh, the rose compliments the green nicely, by the way."

He laughed lightly as I left the kitchen and met up with Wendy and Brian.


	21. Chapter 21

The morning had drained into afternoon, and I was helping Rose make lunch (well, more like teaching her). Taking both Brian and Peasley's emotions into consideration, we decided to make a light lunch of chicken and rice. We didn't add breading or sauce to it; just plain bland rice and tender chicken pieces cooked in a mix of herbs and spices. Rose was making a pitcher of green tea while I was checking the temperature of the chicken to see if it was cooked well done inside. Once it was, we finished off the dish with glasses of green tea. Carrying a tray, I went to each member of the crew, and they took a plate and drink, thanking me. I delivered Peasley's food last because I wanted to check on him.

He was in his room, sitting on his bed. He was now wearing his normal attire minus the cape. The violin was sitting across his lap, and he was thumbing through a music book. He opened to a page and set it on the music stand again.

"Before the concerto of the single fiddle continues rehearsal, do you want to eat lunch now or later?" I asked.

Peasley set the violin on the bed and moved the stand to the side, thanking me. He took a plate and a drink and set them on his desk.

"Have you spoken to Wendy today?" he asked.

"Should I?" I asked confused.

He shook his head. "She is just acting strange. She went into your room this morning, and hasn't come back out. The last I saw her was when she went to grab warmer clothes. She looked exhausted. I would ask, but I don't want to be a pest."

"So you are asking me to be a pest?"

"No; just wondered if you knew anything."

"I know just as much as you do. Want to join me and Brian downstairs for lunch? Eugene will be there, too."

"Is there a choice?" when I shook my head, he snorted. "Then why did you ask?"

"To be polite."

He replaced the food on the tray and carried my drink as we went downstairs. Brian and Eugene were sitting at the table. Apparently Brian was telling one of his stories about his life as a pirate; I recognized the light in his eyes. Peach and Daisy were listening in interest. I set Peasley at the table, and refilled everyone's glasses. Brian was telling the story of how he found the Keelhaul Key treasure with Captain Syrup and a pirate named Victor. He was at the part where he found the cave with the cursed ship when I sat down to eat. I ate quietly and laughed along with everyone else as we enjoyed lunch. I felt my phone vibrate, and looked at it under the table.

_Are you alright?_ It was Daisy.

_Yes. Why?_ I asked.

_You're quiet._

_ So? I'm listening. You know, we shouldn't be texting during Brian's story._

I saw Daisy roll her eyes at me as I put my phone away. I winked at her, and she smiled lightly as I finished off my meal. I carried it to the sink, and cut into the story lightly, asking to take plates. I didn't break the flow of the story as I removed plates and refilled glasses. I had left my phone on the table, and it vibrated loudly against the wood, cutting the story off.

"I'm sorry." I spoke as I picked it up.

"Price is you got to tell us who it is and what it says." Brian answered.

"Wendy wants to see me." I read from my phone. "That's all."

"Darn, I thought you and Daisy were having a little chat."

"And apparently she wants more tea." I read again as I refilled my glass and grabbed another. "Anyone need anything before I go back upstairs?"

When I received no answer, I carried the glasses and a new pitcher of tea on a tray and walked up the stairs. Once I got to my room, I balanced the tray with one arm and my shoulder as I knocked lightly.

"Room service." I spoke.

"Come in." Rose answered.

I entered, and the only light that was on was the light on my end table. Daisy's bed drapes were closed, and Rose and Wendy were sitting on my bed, going through paperwork.

"Can I get you to wear the maid outfit?" Wendy asked as I handed her the drink.

"As long as it isn't a dress and I wear a shirt and pants." I teased as I handed Rose hers.

"Can you keep a secret?" I set the tray on the ground as I closed the door and took a drink from my glass. I didn't answer her, so she took it as a yes. She whispered as she told me "I have good news for you. It seems that the goddess is with us."

"Goddess?" I asked whispering myself. "What are you talking about?"

"Luigi, I'm serious." She snapped. Unfortunately, it was a tad too loud, and a groan sounded from Daisy's bed. I felt my face drain. "For heaven's sake, me and my big mouth…"

Wendy set her glass down, warned us that it was going dark, and turned the light off. A few seconds passed, and Rose asked me to us my flame to light up the room. I lit a small flickering light, and shaded it from the drapes.

"What Wendy was about to say," Rose explained. "Was that we were wrong. There was a problem with the heart meter."

"Wait…" I cut her off. "He…"

Rose nodded. "The pain was too much, and his brain went on defense, causing him to slip into a coma. He came to this morning."

"That's amazing." I whisper-shouted, trying my best to not jump for joy.

"We can't tell anyone, though." Rose cut me off, destroying any hope I had. "His pulse is too weak to be normal. We could still lose him at any moment. The light bugs him too much; that's why Wendy had to turn off the lamp."

"Luigi…" I heard Fiamo whisper. "Is…that you?"

"Rest." I answered. "Yes it is."

A few seconds passed before he answered me. "Rose told me…what you did for My Prince. Thank you. Can…you do me…one more favor?"

"If you stop talking and rest."

"Can you…get Peasley to play tonight? It relaxes me. Try…" he yawned, catching his breath. "Sorry. Try to get him to play Fire Tears."

"Why?"

"It's my favorite one."

I nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you. If you can't, any song will do."

I blew out my flame as Wendy came out of the shades. She turned on the lamp, thanking me for the tea. She took a drink and sighed in relief. "Fiamo, you're recovering very well. I might get Peasley in to see you tomorrow."

"Remember your promise, Luigi." Rose was inches away from my face. "It could be the difference between life and death for him."

"I get it." I pushed her back lightly. "No telling Peasley or anyone else."

With that, I grabbed the tray, and left my drink for Fiamo as I walked out. As I closed the door, I looked around slightly, and did a quick cheer jump before continuing on the hall. I walked down the stairs, returned the tray, and spoke with Brian and Waluigi for a little bit. Remembering the promise I made Fiamo, I went back upstairs.

Peasley was tuning his violin. His eyes were closed and he was sitting on the bed again. Quietly, I grabbed the book off the stand and was skimming through the titles. Forming a plan, I flipped to a certain song and set it on the stand again.

"I would prefer you would ask next time." Peasley spoke looking at the title of the song I picked. "Want me to play Ballad of the Songbird?"

"If you don't mind." I answered.

"Not at all."

He stood up, tapped his foot to the beat of the song as the played the first few measures. When he could feel the beat, he swayed with it, closing his eyes. He only opened it to check the notes. I pulled out a notebook from the bookshelf and read through it as Peasley played the violin. Once he was done, he asked if I had more requests. I told I had two more, and he gestured to the book. I thumbed through it, and realized that Fire Tears wasn't there. I picked a different song and set it on the stand. Apparently it was called The Beanlands. He re-tuned his violin, and played the song. It was a slow ballad, and all the sudden I was thrown for a loop when it changed to a festival-feel atmosphere. I found myself tapping my foot to the beat. I had to force myself to stop so I wouldn't throw his performance off.

_What's with the musical festival?_ Rose asked.

_I'm getting there._ I answered.

_Made us laugh with the sudden mood changed._

When the song concluded, I was humming it as I was thumbing through the book. I looked for a few minutes, and then I showed my confusion.

"Is it not in that book?" Peasley asked. I shook my head. "Well, do you name of the song?" He closed his eyes and was just drawing his bow across the strings, losing himself in the notes while he waited for my answer.

I took a deep breath. "I think it is called…tears of fire…flaming tears…"

Peasley laughed. "The Cry of the Flame God?"

"No…what is it?" I pretended to think for a few seconds. "Oh! Fire Tears."

He looked at me in concern. "Why?"

"I remember you talking about learning the piece a while back."

He shook his head. "I don't talk about Fire Tears; I never have. Don't lie to me."

I sighed. "Fine; you caught me. It was the day you were playing the violin to Fiamo and I while Waluigi was playing piano. After Waluigi and I left, you played that song. I thought it was a lovely piece, and asked Fiamo the name of it before we left Beanbean."

Silence. He closed the rehearsal book and tuned his violin again, thinking deeply. A few tense moments passed, and I updated Rose on the situation at hand. She warned me not to go back on my word, and I looked up, and Peasley was looking at me again.

"You could have just told me that you were trying to help me heal." He smiled softly.

Umm…not what I was going for, but it'll do. I nodded, and he sat down in the chair across from me.

"Close your eyes." He said as he started. "And let the magic guide you."

I obeyed, and listened to the music. It was filled with passion and longing; more than I have ever heard before. It was slow and peaceful, and just as I thought the song was going to end, he changed moods and tempos, taking me to another location.

"The tears of flame are the ones of love." He spoke as he changed tempos and locations. "These tears gave the law to the living, to the biggest mountain to the smallest creature. It gave nutrients to the water as well. It will give us the wind to guide us together."

He opened his eyes, and spoke that it felt strange for him to perform this song without looking at Fiamo. He criticized me for my eyes being open, and I laughed lightly. He closed the song, saying that he wasn't emotionally prepared to continue. I nodded, understanding, and told him that one day I would like to hear the ending. He played a few cords, walking back to his bed.

_Tell him._ Wendy told me.

_ Are you sure?_

_ Yes. His heart is normal now; seeing Peasley will help regulate it._

_ I'll call you; I want Peasley to hear his voice._

_ Alright._

"Peasley, I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead." He was playing the intro to The Beanlands slowly.

I gently grabbed the bow, stopping its movement. He looked at me, thrown off that I stopped him. Releasing my touch, he set the violin to the side and looked at me. I pulled out my phone and called Wendy. His look turned into concern as I put the phone on speaker.

"Yes?" Wendy asked.

"You're on speaker." I whispered.

"Hold on."

Peasley tried to grab the violin again, but I took the bow and gently set it behind me.

"I'm sorry for lying." I told Peasley.

"I knew you were." he spoke none too pleased. "You-"

"Peasley, are you there?" Fiamo spoke softly.

He let out a shriek of shock. His eyes grew wide with hope. "…Fi?"

"You torture me with you sweet voice, my prince. Can I see you, or will you torture make me wait to see you again?"

I hung up, and handed the bow back to him. He took it and grabbed the violin as we walked out of the room and made our way towards my old room. Tentatively, he opened the door. The room was dark like last time, and Wendy explained why. I used my flame to guide us to the bed. I dimmed it to almost nothing as Rose pulled back the curtain.

Fiamo looked out at us, and he had a warm smile on his face. That smile grew wider as he made eye contact with Peasley. It only lasted for a moment as he cringed in pain. He closed his eyes, and Peasley cupped his face, looking at him in concern. Fiamo opened his eyes again, whispering about a headache.

"Please…" Peasley whispered. "If this is a dream or a trick of my mind, don't make me mourn for you more than I have."

"We are both dreaming." Fiamo answered. "We discussed it; the dream of being together at last. Does it matter if this is a dream?"

Peasley nodded slowly. "There is so much I need to say…and only you would understand."

"Close your eyes, then. When you open them again, see if I am still here."

Nodding, Peasley closed his eyes slowly as tears formed in them. Before he opened them again, Fiamo kissed him lightly. Even though it was short lived, it was filled with passion and longing.

"My Prince." Fiamo spoke as they parted and gently brushed his tears away. "Please don't cry."

"I'll be fine now." Peasley responded holding his hand against his face. "I'll always be here for you. I will always love you, no matter how far apart we are."

"I'm sorry for pushing you. I didn't want you to get hurt. I…"

"The only thing that matters is that you're alive. You're alive and here in my arms…kind of. You are more in front of me than anything else. Talk about being tortured."

"You are more than welcome to stay with him." Wendy said to Peasley.

"I want to go downstairs first." Fiamo said. "I want the others to know I am alive."

Wendy nodded, and all five of us headed out of the room, Peasley carrying him.

"This feels right." Fiamo spoke. "This feeling… being back in your arms once again."

The three of us went down the stairs, and Peasley stayed behind. Once we got to the bottom, Rose walked in the kitchen, and politely asked Eugene and Mario to gather the others; that she had an announcement that needed everyone. Rose returned, and we waited until everyone was in attendance. Waluigi snuck up behind Wendy, and hugged her for a few seconds before she turned around hand hugged him back.

"Rhapsody?" she asked.

"Fresh linen," Waluigi answered. "It's the newest scent from the detergent section."

They held hands for a second before Rose called for everyone's attention. For the most part, everyone looked like they recovered from the blow of the sudden "death" of Fiamo. Well…not counting Brian. He was the last person to come in. His eyes were not only red, but they avoided everyone else's contact. He was wearing his undershirt and jeans, and his bandana was missing. He rubbed his eyes as he sat down.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked softly holding his hand.

"Just tired." He answered. "Haven't gotten much sleep. What is the meeting for?"

"Me." Fiamo said as Peasley came down the stairs. Once down, he tried standing, but had to lean against him. "I'm still really weak, but I will survive."

"How did you live?" Eugene asked in shock.

"The pain from the wound sent him into shock, causing him to slip into a coma." Rose explained. "The heart meter wasn't properly connected, so it registered it as his heart stopping."

With Peasley's help, Fiamo got to the couch and sat down next to Brian. "Us crewmates gotta stick together through times of eventide and rough seas."

"Only good thing I learned from her." Brian responded. "I feel better now."

"If we are assigning members of this 'family away from home', I think you would be the father. You worry too much for your own good."

"Unfortunately, I think Luigi has me beat on that one."

We were all laughing and happiness was restored back into the family. We discussed the next best plan of action, and it was a unanimous decision to wait a few days for Fiamo to heal like we did for Wendy. Peasley carried him back into their room.

"Mario." I stopped him.

He looked at me, and turned to Peach, telling her that he would be up in a minute. He faced me again. "What's wrong?"

I sat down. "I know that we have to wait for Fiamo to heal…but I am afraid that we are just wasting time. We could have defeated Dimentio by now."

"No; not in the emotional state we were all sent into." Mario sat down next to me. "Right after Wendy healed, Fiamo suffered great pain, sending us into madness. I know that you just want Dimentio gone; I feel the same way. None of us are prepared to take him on. There is also Bonechill to take into consideration; he is the reason the ice is staying. I know you are panicking; everyone would if they were in your shoes, Luigi. But, remember that it isn't about saving the world as soon as the problem arises. You need to train physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually before you can take on a task like that. Get some rest; we'll talk more tomorrow."

I didn't feel much better, but I nodded and thanked my brother. We both headed upstairs, and headed into our own rooms for the night.


	22. Chapter 22

I woke up, not feeling refreshed at all. I turned slightly to look at the clock on my end table, and it read midnight. Sighing softly, I realized in frustration that I was only asleep for an hour. I sat up slowly, and automatically felt dizzy. I closed my eyes and held my position for a few seconds until my head stopped spinning. The feeling passed, and I grabbed my robe and slippers, walking into the restroom connected to the room Fiamo and I shared.

Due to the situation that we are all in (being stuck in Waluigi's house during an ice storm and possibly freezing to death) it was decided that it was best for the couples to stay apart. So, the sleeping arrangements were: Fiamo and I, Mario and Peasley, Waluigi and Brian, Peach and Daisy, and Rose and Wendy. Once in a while, one of the men would trade places with Eugene, who was our night guard, so that he could sleep for a night or two.

I turned on the light after closing the door, and let cold water fill my hands. I let it slip through my fingers and just used the water that stayed on my fingers and palms to rub the water on my face. Once I turned off the water and was towel-drying my face, the sound of voices caught my attention. I waited for a few seconds, but couldn't decide who the voices belonged to. Concerned, I turned out the light and walked out into the hall, careful not to wake Fiamo in the process. Creeping through the halls, I listened to the voices, trying to figure out who it was. I got halfway down the hall before I realized that the belonged to the sisters. Slowly, I made my way to their door and knocked lightly.

"Room service." I whispered.

I heard a bed creak, and Rose opened the door. She leaned her head against the door frame.

"We're alright. No need for alarm." She spoke softly. I would have bought it if I didn't hear Wendy try to stifle a sob. I tried to push the door open, but Rose fought with me. "We're _fine._ Just go back to bed."

I fought with her for a few seconds, and she sighed, mentioning about how I was always stubborn before opening the door fully. I walked in slowly and Rose closed the door once again. Wendy was sitting up in her bed, holding her glasses in her hands and her forehead resting on her knees, curled into a ball. Her hair was down and she was wearing a pair of deep purple footie pajamas with outlines of little pink stars all over the place. I sat at the foot of her bed and rested my hand on hers. She sat up, bringing her glasses to her eyes to see me. She smiled lightly at the sight of me, but it diminished as soon as it appeared. I held her other hand (the one without her glasses) as her head rested on her knees again.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered.

"No; I woke myself. Went to splash water on my face and heard you and Rose talking. Is everything alright?"

"A nightmare is all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head. "Do you want me to get you anything? A glass of water, or even a snack?" She shook her head again. There was a moment of silence. "What about Waluigi?"

She didn't move. After a minute, she nodded slowly. I got my phone out of my pocket.

_Are you awake? Wendy's crying…_

It was a few minutes later that Waluigi walked in slowly and sat down next to Wendy. He was wearing matching pants and shirt that were purple (deeper than Wendy's) and they had a black plaid design on them. I moved to the other side of the bed, and Waluigi sat down where I was a little bit ago. Slowly, he took her glasses from her hands, and held them gently until she looked up. Gently, he placed the glasses on her face, and she adjusted them lightly.

"Have I told you about your eyes?" he whispered softly.

"Multiple times." She answered.

"Have I? I don't remember."

"They're as green as the purest emeralds. That's what you tell me."

He held her hands. "Yes, I say that, but did I tell you what they do to me?" she shook her head. "I have told you that I had never seen as green of eyes as yours. But there is a certain magic in green eyes that I don't see in blue eyes. Yes, blue ones are pretty. They are commonly compared to the ocean; the deep blues from the depths of the ocean usually. But…under the ocean's surface is a cold and scary place. It is dark, there are monsters lurking about, and you can easily lose your way. To me, your eyes remind me of a forest; a green and prosperous forest. One of them that comes to mind is the one located in Keelhaul Key."

"Isn't that place cursed?"

He nodded slowly. "It's enticing beauty attracts many sailors and pirates, despite its name. Not only is the cursed island known for its lush greens; it is also known for the monsters that lurk there and the spirit of Cortez. Looking into green eyes can be dangerous; they are friendly on the outside, but can be a cold and terrible place much like the ocean. I'm a guy who prefers land over sea. I lose my way every time I look into those forest-green eyes of yours, and I never want to go back."

"I…I never heard that before."

Waluigi held her closer. "Oh, did I also tell you how alluring you look in your pajamas?" Wendy cocked an eyebrow. "It is a more attractive outfit than whatever King Boo put you in." She leaned against him. "Can you tell us what your nightmare was about?"

I watched her body tense in fear. "Do I?" when Waluigi didn't answer, she sighed. "Well, it was dark…very dark; dark like when I was possessed. I felt the cold air brushing – no – tearing at me. It was more like I was tearing through it. My throat was raw from crying and screaming. I felt the cold ground under my knees. I opened my eyes, and the ice was covered in red. I looked at my hands, and I realized that the red was blood…and not my blood. I looked around, and I was hiding in a small cave that was carved into a cliff. It was mainly just a hole in the wall; nothing too complex. Tears flooded my eyes as I followed the blood trial with them. It was terrifying…"

Waluigi held her in his arms and set her in his lap while she continued. "The trail of blood lead to a dark form…it was Eugene. His…his eyes were open…they were glassed over in death. It was so terrifying. I managed to pull away from his eyes and saw the remains of what appeared to be an explosion. Somehow, I managed to get on my feet, and walked to the mouth of the cave, careful not to step on Eugene's corpse. I leaned against the frame, taking everything in. The explosion had caused a lot of damage. It hurt…to see everyone…no one lived."

She burst into tears, and I handed her my bandana and Rose held her hands. "It…it was terrible…I won't go into descriptions of everyone, but the sight was one that I will never forget. The most…the…" she took a few seconds to catch her breath. "…Brian. He…he tried to protect my sister. He…used his body to shelter her. Neither…lived; no one was alive. Thankfully, no one was blown to bits. I was crying about my sister when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, and…and Dimentio's face was inches away from me. I screamed and fell back, terrified. 'You lived' he spoke in that demonic song voice of his. 'That is truly unfortunate. Thankfully, this can be fixed.' He raised his arms, and I couldn't get away in time. The yellow prism encompassed me, and I screamed at the top of my lungs for help. I tried to use my magic, but nothing came to me. I curled into a ball as I heard Dimentio snap his fingers… I screamed at the top of my lungs for anyone to help me, but the only answer I received was the explosions."

She curled into a ball in Waluigi's lap and cried softly, pulling off her glasses before she buried her face into his shoulder. Slowly, he rocked her back and forth until her cries became sniffles. She was beginning to relax, and she sat up, putting her glasses back on. She smiled lightly when she ran her hand through his hair, noticing that his hat wasn't on.

"My dear, are you feeling better?" he asked softly. She nodded lightly, tears filling her eyes again. "Luigi and I will warn the others about your nightmare; we'll make sure it won't come true. If anyone has questions about it, we will answer them to the best of our abilities, okay?"

"And what if you can't?"

"Then I will ask you about it later."

Wendy nodded, and rested her head against Waluigi's chest. She closed her eyes for a brief second, and reopened them and looked at Waluigi. He smiled softly at her.

"Thank you…all of you…" she gestured to Rose and I, "for being here…"

"We're a big, paranoid family." I answered. "Where apparently Brian is the father."

"Personally, I see us as siblings." Rose added.

Wendy moved out of Waluigi's lap, and he stood up, stretching from sitting so long. When Wendy tilted her head down, about to cry again, he sat down again. He held both of her hands, and waited a few seconds. Slowly, he brushed some hair out of her eyes (and glasses) and she looked up at him, placing her hand on his.

"Will you smile for me?" he asked softly. She averted her eyes. "C'mon, one smile for your Walruigi-kun." She looked at him confused. Waluigi threw all three of us off when all the sudden he kissed her. It was only a second, and he pulled away gently. Wendy's eyes were huge with shock and confusion. He stood up and turned to leave, but Wendy grabbed his hand.

Well, I thought the kiss was strange.

I was _so_ wrong.

She pulled him towards her and in one swift movement, dipped the poor unsuspecting man and kissed him for a few seconds before pulling him back up. She laughed lightly as Waluigi blinked a few times in confusion. They held hands and told each other good night, and then all four of us went in our separate directions. As I slowly crept back into my room, I closed the door and stretched out on my bed once again.

…what in the world just happened?


	23. Chapter 23

A few days had passed, and soon Fiamo was back in good health. We took the same path we did with Wendy; he stayed with Peasley until he could stand on his own. He was still terribly exhausted, but fought to stay awake during the day. When he could muster the energy of speaking for long periods of time, he would tell stories to Luma. Once he could stand, Rose and Wendy worked him through exercises that got his strength back into his arms and legs. Daisy did archery training with him (more he taught her) to make sure he could still aim and shoot properly. Soon, he was back to his normal, energetic self.

I came downstairs from reading and Fiamo was telling a story to Luma and Brian. I couldn't really hear what he was saying, but I knew it was a story for how he used over exaggerated hand gestures to tell the story he was. Brian was doing the same thing; I think both of them were telling a pirate story. As I walked into the kitchen to make a light lunch, I heard Luma's cheerful squeal of laughter.

"Hey, Luigi." Brian called to me. "Eugene said that we need to have a meeting before you make lunch, alright?"

"Fine with me." I answered as I put the utensils away that I had grabbed. I walked out into the living room. "What horror stories are you telling my Luma now?"

Fiamo laughed. "Oh, he asked the daring question." I cocked an eyebrow. "He asked what Syrup was like."

"How much is true?"

"….most."

I laughed as Luma sat on my shoulder. "Mama."

"Go ahead, little one."

"Luma…made decision. Luma gonna be Star."

Thankfully Brian and Fiamo were there; they saw my reaction and automatically jumped into action.

"Luma." Fiamo asked. "Are you sure you want that?"

"Luma sure; Luma's other friends already transformed. Luma left behind…"

"You won't be able to eat Mama's cookies and food if you transform." Brian pointed out.

"If Mr. Pirate Man no want Luma to change, then Luma no change."

"It is completely up to you." Fiamo answered for Brian, "We're just pointing out different things to you. We like Luma as a Luma best. But that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your happiness."

"Sacrifice?"

"Give up. Give away."

"Luma, what would happen if Luma turned into a Star, but it is not what Luma hoped it would be?" Brian asked.

"Luma want this." He squeaked. My heart exploded. "Wanna be Star…wanna be Mama's Star. Luma know already Mama's Star…but Luma is Luma, not Star."

I fought with every piece of energy that I owned not to cry. Fiamo and Brian were at a loss of what to argue and point out. He got off my shoulder, saying that he was going to see Gadd then and there. I would have called for him, but I was in too of an emotional mess to try. Luma got to the door, but Eugene cut him off, placing a firm hand on the handle.

"Luma." He spoke sternly. "Why don't you wait for the ice storm to pass? Wait until the meanies are gone."

"Kay." He flew back and noticed that I was crying. "Mama, why Star Bits in eyes?"

"There is just a lot on Mama's mind right now." Mario answered coming down the stairs. "Let him be for a few."

Luma sat in my lap and handed me a tissue. Laughing through my tears, I took it and dabbed my eyes lightly as the others came downstairs. Eugene, Brian and Fiamo informed everyone else about Luma's dead set decision.

"But, the decision we need to make now is our next move." Eugene spoke. "The enemy has been torturing us one by one, and I fear that Wendy's nightmare will occur if we don't move. Based on what I was informed, I don't want my game to end in that fashion."

"We should go for Bonechill." Daisy added. "He is the reason the ice is staying. We could use all of our powers to reseal the seal, and then the only one we have to deal with is Dimentio."

"No." Wendy spoke sternly. "We can't let Dimentio live."

"Personally, I think we need to move locations. We are too vulnerable here now. Both monsters could be on their way here as we speak." Mario suggested.

"We could go back to Beanbean." Peasley suggested, "But I don't know what the conditions are like over there."

"To avoid attacks, we should sail there." Brian spoke. Wendy's face drained completely white. "Wendy, you won't be alone. You can stay in the Captain's Barrack until we reach destination.' She nodded, color returning slowly to her face.

"Luma all kinds of cafoozed." He peeped.

"About what we are doing?" Peach asked.

He shook his head. "What Luma wanna do."

"You still have time to think." Rose reassured. "Once the meanies are gone, we can sit down and discuss it."

"Discuss?"

"Talk about."

He nodded, and hid in my hat. "Luma ready."

We decided, after bickering back and forth (Well, them; I was in too much of a mood to participate) that the best thing to do now is that we needed to go to go back to Beanbean so we can recover there and prepare for the ultimate battle with Bonechill and Dimentio. After bundling up heavily and Luma slipping into my coat, we got on our ice skates and left the house into the dark and cold night. The sky was decorated with distant Stars twinkling happily and minding their own business. The only sounds that were heard during our travel were the other people's slow and steady breathing and the skates making contact with the ice. To try and lift the mood of myself and the others, I sped up ahead of them and did slow spins, making Luma cry 'wee' from my coat. He giggled as I slowed down and the others caught up to me. I skated alongside the rest of the group until Rose decided to show off her skills and do a jump-spin, landing on the ice perfectly. That's how traveling went; we would all be skating to Beanbean and all the sudden someone would go ahead of the pack and do a small trick or two. There was one point where it got too dark for us to see what was in front of us, so Mario's Star and Luma sat on top of our heads and we took the lead. They both shone their light happily, and I noticed that Luma's light was much brighter than Mario's Star without having to use any extra energy.

"Mama." Luma piped at me. "Luma sense bad."

"What is it?" I asked looking at him.

"Smell funny…"

"He's right; there is something in the air." Eugene spoke softly.

"It's gunpowder." Brian answered for us. "A mix of gunpowder and gasoline."

I stopped suddenly, throwing everyone off guard. Gently, I raised my hand as high as it could go, and barely tapped my flame. The green flame exploded in heat and intensity, making it appear that I had used all of my strength easily. I released the magic, and I saw fear in everyone's face.

"I'm afraid it's too late to turn back." I spoke softly. "I also fear…that we skated right into Dimentio's trap."

"We need to keep going." Fiamo spoke, his tone grave. "We just have to make sure we are nowhere near any caves or holes in cliffs."

Everyone nodded, and we continued on, a lot slower this time. As we continued, the cliffs got closer and closer together. There was one that had a decent sized hole in it, and Wendy mentioned that that was the one in her nightmare. Just a few feet away from it was what appeared to be a black mass of…well, I think it was the gunpowder and gasoline we smelled on the way here. It looked like only a small pile that could easily be swept up and thrown away, but there was a dark shadow looming just under the ice.

They had buried the rest of the powder.

All that was needed was a flame.

We tried to skate around the obstacle as best as we could, but Dimentio appeared in front of us, laughing in his sing-song manner.

"Why, you saw my trap, didn't you?" he asked. "Try to avoid it, then."

He raised his hands in the air, and a red flame flickered to life. Knowing well what this meant, Waluigi fired a ball of water at it, diminishing it instantly. The clown, however, did not take kindly to that, and all the sudden there were multiple flames dancing around him. They all started to head towards the powder at an alarming speed.

"Ciao, heroes." He laughed as he disappeared.

The smaller flames combined into a medium-sized flame as it made its way towards the gasoline-soaked gunpowder. Thinking fast, Daisy grabbed my hand and stared at me with determination. Reading her face, I gave her every ounce of magic I could conceive without overworking myself. I warned the others what Daisy was doing, and everyone cooperated, giving her their hand and giving her their magic. Once everyone gave what they had, Daisy jumped straight into the air, and when she landed, slammed her glowing hands into the ice, causing great thick vines to burst through the ice around us. We all got close as Eugene rose his hands in the air (apparently he didn't give Daisy his power; probably because he is a Dark Mage) and the stakes appeared around the vines, encompassing them in a veil of darkness. The vines made a dome around us, and they weaved themselves within each other until it was a tightly knit cocoon. The explosion of fire meeting gunpowder ignited, and the ground quaked with the intensity. The noise was the world exploding right under us.

In one swift second, the heat of the explosion hit us, and both Eugene and Daisy recoiled with the sudden hit. I stood up and let Daisy lean against me as she recovered, and I saw Peasley and Brian helping out Eugene. Both mages upped their magic, and the heat continued to grow in strength as the wave of flames engulfed the darkness covered vines. Using what little power he had left, Waluigi summoned a light splash for all of us so we wouldn't absolutely roast. Getting an idea, I got in front of Daisy, and undid the zipper of her heavy winter coat. Careful not to break her trance, I managed to get the big, thick coat off and I set it on the ground. She sustained her power in one hand as we both worked together to get her two sweatshirts off. Once they hit the ground, I heard Mario hiss in pain as Eugene's dark cloak hit the ground (I think the metal burned him). I also got Daisy's gloves off in order for her power to flow through her arms and fingers freely.

The explosion ended as quickly as it had happened; it was the flames eating away at the darkness that was the kicker. Waluigi and Wendy combined their powers, and casted a weak storm outside of our shelter in an attempt to drown the hungry flames. A terrifying hour passed before the deafening roar of the flames died out. Eugene released his spell first, and then Daisy released hers. The vines returned back into the ground and I managed to get her coat and sweatshirts back on. Once the view was clean of black smoke, the devastation was horrific and made bile form in my throat and stomach. Where the black gunpowder once was located was now a crater bigger than the Mushroom Kingdom Castle.

"Daisy…" I whispered to her. "Are you feeling alright?"

She faced me and nodded. "Just a little weak on my feet is all."

I swept her of her feet (ice skates?) and Mario did the same for Eugene after a little friction between the two. We continued skating towards our destination, lightly talking to one another until we could see Beanbean off the horizon. Slowing down our speed, we got to the entrance of the castle in about half an hour of non-stop skating. Peasley opened the door and was the first one in the castle so he could warn the guards that he and the rest of us had returned safely. The guards greeted us one by one as we slowly came into the castle. Luma flew out of my coat and sat on my shoulder, saying 'hello' to them as we walked by.

All I have to say is that it felt good to be far away from Dimentio.


	24. Chapter 24

As soon as we got warm and comfortable, we traveled into the basement of the castle. Confused, I followed obediently with the rest. We got into the basement where the old, musty room with the ancient scrolls in them was located. Slowly, Peasley turned on an oil lamp he was carrying and set it on a desk, sweeping off the dust with his other. He grabbed one of the scrolls and carefully opened it, trying not to destroy it any more than it had been.

"What are you doing exactly?" Peach asked Peasley.

"Well, Princess," he answered still reading. "I am reading through the old legend, trying to find a way to seal Bonechill again; we are in no condition or strength to try and fight him. So far, the only thing I have seen down here is the legend."

Wendy suggested that we should split into teams and look more into the ancient scrolls. Peasley agreed, but cautioned us to be extremely careful. Brian and I walked through the old corridors, trying not to set anything aflame with the oil lamp that we had. Slowly, I picked a few out and we set them on the table near Peasley. Brian was putting rubber gloves on (to not ruin the ink) as I opened the scroll gently and slowly. We both scanned the contents.

_King Pinto ruled the land with grace and wisdom. The Beanbean Kingdom was slipping into their Golden Age…_

"I don't think this is it." Brian spoke lightly. "Unless we are doing a history report on Peasley's family history."

I gently rolled the scroll back up and set it off to the side laughing lightly. Peasley heard us, and told us that King Pinto was not a very good ruler. He said a little bit more as Brian set another one on the table, and I opened it.

_The Drought of…_

I didn't have to read more to know that it wasn't what we were looking for. Sighing, I set that scroll with the other one, and this process endured for an hour and about 25 scrolls. We found absolutely no information about ancient legends and myths. We took a break, and we heard a loud sneeze.

"Bless you." I said out in the open.

"Thanks." Rose answered from a few corridors down.

"Are your lungs alright?" Wendy asked from the other side of the room.

"I'm alright; I have my inhaler just in case."

"Well, take a break when you need it."

She sneezed again, and came up to Brian and me, holding a scroll. She set it down on the table and asked for me to look at it; that the dust was irritating her lungs. Brian took off his bandana and handed it to her as I opened the scroll. I scanned it, but realized that it wasn't in English. Slowly, I read it again.

"_Tenebras…tenebras meas, docebit vos_." I attempted to say (I did a decent job at it, too).

"My darkness will guide you." Eugene spoke softly. "That's what it means in Latin."

"Do you read Latin?" Rose asked trying to tie the bandana around her face to block dust.

He shook his head. "I spoke that when I was reviving Bonechill." He just realized what he had said. I moved out of the way, and he placed his hands on the scroll, reading it carefully. "Yes…yes; this was the chant we used to revive him."

"Hey Daisy." Rose called out after she tied Brian's bandana around her face so she wouldn't inhale any more dust than she already had. "Remember that _really_ old scroll I found, the one that almost snapped in three pieces when I grabbed it?"

"Yes." She answered emerging from a corridor, "why?"

"Can you grab the others that were near it; we got a lead."

That got everyone's attention. Mario and Wendy came from behind us, and Peach and Waluigi came as well. Fiamo was helping Daisy carry the precious scrolls. As they set them down on another table, Eugene began to speak.

"Rise, Master." He translated what was on the parchment. "My darkness will guide you. The ice will heal your wounded heart…that's what this one says. I only know that because that was the chant we used to revive Bonechill in the first place."

"I remember that." Wendy spoke softly. "It was the only outfit that I liked."

"Ha!" Fiamo suddenly shouted. "You do have a favorite outfit!"

She rolled her eyes as everyone laughed lightly. Rose handed Eugene another scroll, and I opened it slowly, letting him look at it.

"_Per glaciem voluntas stragulum terram, congelatio omnia. Nemo possit pugnare eam. Solum heroes potest finire glaciem tempestate_." He looked at us. "Don't ask me what that means; I have no idea."

"Glaciem is ice." Wendy pointed out. "I know that."

"What was the phrase again?" Peasley asked coming into the room (when did he leave?) carrying a giant book. He set it down on another table, and lightly thumbed through it as Eugene repeated himself. It took about a half hour, but Peasley got an answer. "Roughly, it means '. The ice will blanket the land, freezing everything. No one can fight it. Only the heroes can end the ice storm'."

"Not good." Luma purred from the front pocket of my overalls.

Eugene continued reading. "_Glaciei vinculis possint elicere ad virum venisset. Si difficile et concitaverunt eum ventus auctor. Duo ignis domini eum, ne effugere mittentes incantamenta ignis_."

"Hold on!" Peasley shouted cutting him off. "Let me finish getting these first."

"The ink is almost gone; I'm afraid we'll lose important information."

"Go on then."

"_In magus terrae narrabo natura Impetum, ostentantes, plantarum porriges, et trahere eum in carcerem_...I can't read anything else; it's too smudged."

Eugene retrieved another ancient scroll to start read it. Even I couldn't understand what was on it, so he set it aside and started to read another.

"The Hero of the Ice can lure him back to the prison he came from." Peasley translated. "If this is too hard, the Champion of the Wind can move him. Two fire lords shall prevent him from escaping by casting spells of fire. The wizard of the Earth will tell nature to attack, causing the plants to reach out to them and pull him into prison."

"It sounds like we are just ganging up on him." Peach mused softly. "The thing is that he is way too strong for just Rose and Wendy to handle. Even if he does go back into his prison, how are we going to seal it so he won't break out again?"

"Just like last time." The oil lamp went out and Booling appeared. Luma sat in front of the scroll and used his light so Eugene could see. "The problem that occurred when the seal was made was that we only used one combination of spells."

"So do we need to use multiple?" Fiamo asked. "I mean, these guys have some awesome powers, but I don't think they have enough to entice Bonechill into the trap and build a seal with hundreds of spells on it like a spider building a web. I know Wendy is still recovering; so she can only do so much…which is a lot less than everyone else."

"Is there a way we can increase Wendy's power gage?" Waluigi asked. "Personally, I don't want her to try and seal Bonechill in the current condition she is in. I know she had gotten a lot better, but she hasn't fully recovered."

"Well, the only option there seems to be is if we go back to the Temple of Diamonds." Wendy answered. "That's where I got my power in the first place."

The silence of the room answered our question. Slowly, we gathered our things and headed out into the cold once again.


	25. Chapter 25

We got to the Temple of Diamonds without a lot of problems (which was surprising). Fiamo and I were up in the nest, making sure that Brian wasn't going to run into a lot of problems. Once he docked at the entrance, we got to the deck, and discussed the next best move. The first thing that Brian was worried about was leaving his boat alone; although we were out in the middle of the ocean, he still had his doubts about leaving it unattended. After discussing it back and forth, we decided that the best thing to do was to split the team in half; Wendy would go into the Temple of Diamonds with me, Waluigi, Daisy, and Rose. Mario, Fiamo, Eugene, Peasley and Peach would stay with Brian on the boat. After making sure we had everything, we went into the Temple.

It had the same layout as last time. Thankfully, I was in the lead, and warned every one of the short ledge at the very entrance. Luma lit up the place, and peeped at me that it was the same as last time. I nodded, and spoke to the others that we needed to go one at a time to make sure we got over. Taking a deep breath, I backed up to the wall, and nodded at Luma, telling him that I was ready. He counted down from three, and shouted 'go'. I shoved myself off the wall and sped up to the ramp. Right before the drop of the slope, I jumped in the air, and stiffened my body, taking the position of a mummy. I felt the wind and snow sting my face and nose as I slid at an alarming rate. Unlike last time when I went air born, I kept my composure until I was clearly over the gap. I unlocked my knees so when I hit the ground, my knees bent, and I managed to stay upright. I skidded to a stop, and told Luma to get the next person. He flew away, and I watched his yellow light dance around as he was instructing the next person.

I waited a few seconds before I saw his yellow light move with great speed alongside the ramp. The person got launched in the air, and they kept their structure until a few feet away from the ice. Rose landed, but didn't stop soon enough and crashed into me. Thankfully, I didn't fall over, and I could hear Waluigi's laugh echoing off the walls. Luma flew back, and ushered the next person to go. I got confused when Luma flew back to me.

"Nice Doctor Lady scared." Luma peeped.

I saw Rose's hair begin to float, and I told Luma to tell Wendy that Rose would help her if she didn't make it. Luma nodded, and flew back. Rose and I waited for a few seconds, and Luma lined up next to the ramp. I could only imagine the stress and fear Wendy was going through. Luma started moving towards us slowly, and Rose circulated the air underneath the ramp. Luma picked up speed, and I heard him say 'stay still' as Wendy became air born. Rose made the wind thrust upwards with such force that it sent Wendy a few more feet in the air, making sure that she got over the gap alright. She landed on the ice, and Rose went and checked on her sister. Luma congratulated Wendy, and went back to help out Daisy and Waluigi.

Daisy was next, and she overshot the edge and ended up crashing into me; she didn't land on the ground then hit me, she _landed_ on me. I groaned in pain as Daisy apologized and got off me. Waluigi got over with grace and no problems, and Luma returned to my shoulder. I explained that I went down the hall, and then I ran into Waluigi and Wendy when we were here last. We slowly continued forward, and we got to the wall with the ancient writing. I looked at it again with more interest than last time.

"Hey." I stopped everyone. "Does this look familiar to anyone?"

"We were here last time." Wendy answered the obvious. "It is the same place we were before Luma got snatched."

"No, I mean…the writing. It looks…familiar."

"Luigi, I think I hit your head." Daisy said coming up to me. "Let's continue forward."

I pulled out my phone and sent different images to the crew on the boat, hoping for an answer. I waited for a few seconds, and when we got no answers. Right before we left the room altogether, my phone went off.

_It is Ancient BeanBean._ Peasley answered me. _Do you know what you sent me?_

_ Umm…no. Should I be worried?_ I asked.

_Luigi…where is this located?_

I sent Luma to go get Peasley, and Daisy decided to go with him to switch places, saying that her power would not work in a temple completely made of ice. We waited for a few minutes, and Luma returned with Peasley in tow. I gestured to the wall, and the prince skated up to it, reading it in interest and fear. We watched his eyes reading the wall, and he rested his hand on it, slowly tracing his fingers across the carved ice.

"This…" Peasley whispered. "This is the entire revival legend."

"The ones the Shroobs used?" Rose asked.

Peasley shook his head. "The one that revived Bonechill." Peasley skated back, trying to read the entire thing at once. "This is an amazing find! Someone call Brian; they need to hear this as well."

"Got it." Wendy answered.

A few minutes passed, and Brian had answered the phone. Both Wendy and he had their phones on speaker so everyone could hear.

"My translations may be a bit shaky," Peasley spoke softly, "but this is what it says:

_"Before the time of the world where life forms upheld the law, the lands that we know today were an icy terrain. Man and beast froze in this terrible weather. There was a dramatic shortage of food, and there was no clean water to drink for all the water was frozen. There were the seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter, but even they could not melt the ice. The Gods had sent Man to rid of this ice, but every idea that came to test ended up falling short. The land was at risk of perishing before it could even begin. _

_ "The cause of the ice staying on the land was a monster made of the element itself. He was a heartless creature who only wished to see the blood of his victims as a thin layer of color on his icy world of chaos and madness…"_

Peasley stopped (probably because that was how much he had translated) and he was still reading in interest and fear.

"How do you know what it says?" Eugene asked through the phone.

"I took an Ancient Writings and Analysis class a year ago." Peasley explained. "It is very important for Royalty to know the ancient text as well as they know their native language. Everyone in Beanbean is required to take the class, but I had to take more to make sure I knew the text well."

Waluigi warned him to take his time with translating the text, and Peasley nodded. We waited in silence, and I slowly approached the prince and held a notebook in front of him for a few minutes before he noticed it. He thanked me quietly as I handed him a pen as well. He scribbled a few symbols down, and looked up at the wall again.

_"The monster showed no signs of stopping his reign of terror and bloodlust. The people of the lands would risk their lives to travel to the one and only temple to pray to the Gods to end the reign of ice. Many did not make it past the ice, and the ones who did ended their travels at the face of the monster. Very few people actually made it to this temple, and prayed with their entire hearts for the nightmare to end. The monster grew angry at the people, and to demonstrate his hatred, he destroyed the temple, extinguishing any and all hope the people had._

_ "The Gods saw this action, and selected four heroes from different areas of the land to end this monster's raging chaos. A man from the boiling north, a woman of the windy west, another man of the dark south and one more woman of the earthly east were summoned to the lair of the Ice Monster…" _

Peasley took a breath and rubbed his eyes. Wendy warned him not to overwork himself; that there was no rush of the translations. He nodded, and yawned slowly, deep and softly. Fiamo's faint voice echoed from Wendy's phone, saying that he was repeating the legend to Queen Bean, who had scholars on standby to write down everything he was saying. The Queen told Fiamo to tell Peasley to take his time, and he nodded, thanking him for the message.

"I know that I have to read the entire legend; this is a magnificent find." Peasley spoke lightly, "but my concern is if this tells us how to seal him back."

"Take your time, Prince Peasley." Fiamo spoke (apparently Queen Bean didn't know about their relationship), "You are in no rush."

The prince stood up again, and continued to look at the wall. Luma sat on his shoulder, and Peasley's skin began to glow softly. Luma said that he was helping Princely Bean Man by giving him energy to continue translating. Peasley smiled, and continued to read silently to himself. Rose was soon skating around in circles quietly, saying that we all need to move a little bit so we wouldn't freeze.

"Are you ready?" Peasley asked. When he got the approval, he continued reading the legend._ "The enchantress of the earth used her rage and fury to rip apart the earth to its very core; a direct portal to the Underwhere. The wizard of wind summoned deadly gales in order to push the beast towards his doom. The monster fought with everything he had, freezing everything within its reach. To protect the other summoners, the Fire Caster cast his fierce flames to place his curse upon the land, melting the ice that got close to the flames."_

I heard Fiamo (as well as some others with him) trying to suppress a laugh.

_ "Once the monster no longer could withstand the flames, he submitted into the portal to the Underwhere, when the Dark Descendant sealed the portal with his touch and mixed it with the surrounding ice. The spell was a weak one, so there was a chance for the monster to break free once again. Within this temple is a beacon for Dark Ice; a matter which only a Mage approved by the Ice Illusion can control. That power is the very…"_ Peasley stopped, leaning closer to the ice. _"That power is the very…essence…_yes, essence _of the Dark Descendant's power._ Sorry, the characters were beginning to melt."

"Is that all?" Fiamo asked softly.

"Yes."

Fiamo spoke softly to the Queen, and he informed the rest of us that he had ended the phone conversation with her. Peasley turned to us, and explained that the Dark Ice would probably be in the same location as the Ice Illusion was when Wendy got her power in the first place. We nodded, and slowly made our way forwards and deeper within the ice temple. We were making good time, and we got to the point where Waluigi knew where we were and he took the lead. Slowly, we traveled through the corridors, and soon it got to be so dark that Luma would sit on Waluigi's shoulder and light the way.

We got to the end of the hall, and it opened up into a room about the size of the entrance hall in the Mushroom Kingdom Castle. There were torches that lined the walls, so Luma dimmed his light and returned to his Mama. Waluigi extended his arm out, prohibiting us from going forward. Wendy looked at him in concern, and he turned around, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Someone, for his sanity, hold Luigi in place." Waluigi spoke openly regardless of looking at Wendy. I felt Rose lock arms with me, and Peasley whispered that he was beside me as well. Waluigi sighed, and looked at Wendy in the eye. "I want you to be very careful here. Do you remember what we saw last time?"

Wendy nodded. "Are you going to warn the others?"

"Wendy, I think the dark, crystal-like object we saw was the Dark Ice that was written in the Legend. No one would leave something this powerful just unprotected. For the love of my sanity, if the casket opens up and the mummy starts chasing us again, run like hell."

At the mention of the mummy, I felt my face completely drain. Waluigi knew me well; I wanted to go back to surface and cry in fear, but Rose and Peasley wouldn't let me move. They tried to comfort me, but that didn't stop the fear of going through the trauma that I went through last time. I gritted my teeth, trying not to cry out in fear, but my nerves shook me too much and tears stung my eyes. Luma flew out of my hat and nuzzled under my chin, telling me that Luma was there to protect his Mama.

"I'm…I'm afraid that I'll freeze up in fear." I said looking up at Waluigi.

"We can't afford for anyone to do that." He retorted sharply. "Luigi, after the Ice Illusion accepted her, he warned us of the monster in the next chamber; the one just a few feet away from where we are now. Once Wendy is within the Dark Ice's reach, it will try to destroy her. As a chain reaction, the mummy will awaken and try to kill her in order to protect the Dark Ice. Trust me, I am terrified and am not comfortable with the thought of Wendy doing this, but I have to put my fears aside for the sake of the world. If we do not do this, we might as well kiss the world we know good-bye, and the Reign of Ice will be reborn!"

Wendy held Waluigi hard, trying to keep him from falling apart. Seeing him physically scared for Wendy's safety reassured me that we had to go through with this. I nodded, and told Rose and Peasley that I would be alright. They released me, and I repeated myself, directing the statement towards Waluigi. He smiled softly, thanking me for my courage and reassurance. Peasley interrupted the moment, bringing up the issue that he has no magic power other than when he plays his violin, and there wasn't one that he could get to. He said that he had his sword, but expressed his fear of it not being enough to protect Wendy. Wendy reassured him that it would be enough, and Peasley smiled softly.

"Besides," Wendy pointed out, "If all else fails, you can blind the living hell out of him."

There was a little laugher from all of us, and Peasley nodded. After making sure we had some sort of plan (it was very loosely structured), we continued into the room. The torches glowed brighter and brighter as we made our way in. Right smack in the middle of the room was a circular platform, and on it was a pedestal with the Dark Ice standing there like a valuable gem. It sparkled a dark and haunting black and purple against the ice, making its true power relevant. Before we continued, Rose expressed her fear of the darkness possessing Wendy like King Boo did, and I got a hold of Eugene, sending him multiple pictures of the ice.

_Based on what I see, _he answered using Brian's phone, _If Wendy keeps a clear head and a strong purpose, she should be fine. Wendy, sweetie, make sure you don't lose the reason why you are doing this, the Darkness can alter your vision, and make you think that the people you are protecting are dead. Keep your chin up and your eyes dry; I'm sure you'll do great. If you can get through King Boo, you can do this :)_

Slowly, Wendy skated to the platform, and slowly walked up to it. The Dark Ice started reacting to her presence as lights of black and deep purple emitted from it.

"Before I go through with this," Wendy whispered loud enough for us to hear. "If I fail…please protect my sister."

With a deep breath, Wendy glided to the Ice, took off her gloves, and rested her bare hands on it. Dark power started swirling around her, and she closed her eyes in deep concentration. It wasn't a few seconds when the ground quaked, and the room filled with ice scraping against ice. One of the coffins that were on the same side as Wendy was opened, and a monster slowly pulled himself free. I snapped electricity in my hands as Rose gathered her power. I heard Waluigi scream a cry of pure fury.

"Remember." Peasley said as his sword rang of freedom from being pulled out. "This is for Wendy."


	26. Chapter 26

The monster roared in wrath as he dragged himself towards the pedestal. Wasting no time, I threw electricity at the monster, hitting its shoulder. He saw me and, instead of the slow walk it was doing, launched himself at me. I created a small force field around me, and the energy coursed through the monster as it landed on it. I closed the force field, and used a blast of my power to throw it against the room on the opposite room of Wendy, causing the monster to smash into the wall. I watched Wendy shudder at the sound of another monster roaring, and I approached her.

"Ignore them as best as you can." I said to her. "No monster will hurt you; that's what we're here for. Focus on the monster you are fighting with."

She nodded, and recomposed herself. One monster breathed ice across the battle field, and the only person that was hit was Peasley. Managed to gather fire, I blasted the ground, freeing the prince. He dodged the monster's attack, and sliced though the monster's skin with his sword, causing thick red blood to flow from it. The prince turned, thanked me, and resumed his battle. I turned to the monster I was fighting earlier, and tried to dodge his attack to no avail. His giant hand snatched me, and I was lifted off the ground. I couldn't lift my arms, so the only thing I could do was summon all of my fire in my hands, burning the monster's flesh and causing him to drop me. I did something that resembled a backflip, making my blades collide with the beast's chin. He screamed in fury as he hit the ground. I electrocuted him for good measure, and was about to turn and fight the next monster when Rose was launched in the air. I chased after her, and caught her before her face met ice.

I set her down, and she thanked me, focusing her white magic. I stood my ground as another monster (probably the one that was fighting Rose) charged at me. I caused my flames to explode in the monster's face as he got too close to us. It was sent flying back into the monster I had knocked into the ground earlier. I watched as white energy caressed me as well as Waluigi and Peasley. The white power didn't touch Wendy for fear that it would distract her. Once Rose was done healing the party, she thanked me again for protecting her, and she resumed her fight with the monster that went after her.

I watched as Peasley gracefully landed on the ground after making a grave wound within the brute. It charged at him, and Peasley shouted 'heads up' at us. All at once, we all shielded our eyes (Wendy closed hers tighter) as the prince flipped his hair, causing a blinding white light to fill the battlefield. A few seconds passed, and I opened my eyes, and watched as Peasley leaped into action once again.

"Wa…Waluigi." Wendy spoke softly. "Are….are you still alive?"

I took Waluigi's place as he approached her. "Yes I am."

"Is…everyone alright?"

"Yes; don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Just focus on your job."

She nodded, and tears filled her eyes.

"Remember what Eugene told you!" I screamed as I dodged an attack. "Keep your chin up and your eyes dry."

Wendy started crying, and Rose broke away from the fighting. She gently casted a wind spell towards Wendy and her tears slowed down. Getting an idea, I let my electricity flow from my fingers, and it slithered like a snake towards her. It slowly wrapped around her, letting the energy fill her but not shock her. Waluigi gently used his flames to wrap around her arms, and he made it take the shape of a heart on her chest. She smiled, rolling her neck and kept it lifted up. Waluigi's flames dried her face from her tears, and she tanked all of us. Peasley said 'heads up' again and flipped his hair. The light wasn't as bright as last time, but it still reassured Wendy that we were there for her. She thanked all of us, and went back to her duties with newfound purpose.

Before we could face the demons again, the ground started to tremble violently under us. The monsters retreated back into their coffins without another word or sound. The tremors continued long after the monsters retreated and we all fell to the ground (minus Wendy) after losing our balance. Peasley tried to stand, but he landed on the ground again. The quakes got worse, and my hands felt colder than usual. Concerned, I looked down.

Water was on the ground.

"Guys…" I said my voice layered with fear. "I think…I think we have to go."

"We can't leave Wendy!" Rose shouted.

I faced her. "The Temple is sinking into the sea! We will drown if we don't move now!"

The Dark Ice shattered, and reassembled itself around Wendy, imprisoning her with its power. Peasley screamed that this was the last trial for Wendy to go through.

"Don't say that, Luigi!" Waluigi screamed at me. "You know her fears…"

Shit. I had forgotten.

The water continued to fill the room, and the torches were put out at the first touch of the icy waters. Luma sat on my head, and illuminated the room so we could see. In little time, the waters had reached the edge of the platform, and Wendy jerked slightly, feeling the water's touch. I watched her face be consumed with fear.

"Waluigi!" I screamed at him. "The Dark Ice is trying to make Wendy give up! It knows her true fear and is using it against her."

Transferring his power, Waluigi parted the water around Wendy, telling her that everything was alright. She nodded (her head was the only thing free), and focused on her task. Luma flew away to warn the others of the situation, but unfortunately leaving us all in the dark. The only light that was visible was the occasional spark from the Dark Ice. Slowly, all three of us swam to the pedestal, pulling ourselves out of the icy waters but being careful not to scare Wendy.

The walls of water increased in height, and was soon over our heads. Luma flew back, and squeezed in the little space between the ceiling and the water. He peeped that everyone on the boat knew of the situation, and were afraid for us. I told Luma to go back, but he didn't move. He sat on my hat, illuminating the area.

"Luma." I scolded. "Do as you are told."

"No." he backfired. "Luma stay with Mama."

"Please." I whispered. "Go back with Uncle Mar-Mar."

"But…but Mama stay here. Mama drown." He whispered to not scare Wendy.

"Baby, I need you to protect Flower and Uncle Mar-Mar for me. You can transform into a Star and be a Star for someone else who deserves it."

"No." tears were building in his eyes. "Luma Mama's Star. Mama's Star forever and ever and ever."

"Do as you are told, Luma." Peasley whispered. "Be there for Red Head Pirate and Mr. Pirate Man as well."

"But…but…" Luma flew to my chest, crying softly.

"Please." I fought not to cry. "Go. Mama love Luma."

"Luma…Luma love Mama."

He kissed my nose and I kissed the top of his head as he flew away, leaving us in the dark once again. I turned to Rose, and said that she should follow Luma. She almost fired at me, but I countered before she could speak, saying it was what her sister would want to do. Tears filled her eyes, and nodded, telling me to protect her sister with everything I had. I held her for a few seconds, and Rose charged into the wall of water, swimming out of the trap. Peasley told me the he was doing the same, and that I should as well.

"No." I whispered. "Waluigi…"

"They will die together if this doesn't work." The prince snapped at me. "We need to go; Waluigi can't protect us all. It will allow him to decrease the area he is preventing the water to touch, saving him energy."

He had a good argument, so I nodded. I walked to Waluigi, and he nodded. I thanked him for everything that he had done, and Peasley and I charged into the waters. It literally felt like running into an ice block; the water was extremely cold, and it took Peasley and me a few seconds to recollect ourselves before we swam for the exit. Peasley flipped his hair a little, showing us the way to go with the light. We clawed through the waters until we broke surface. We treaded for a bit until Rose used her power to throw us onto the ship. Fiamo embraced Peasley, the fear of his prince's death overwhelming him. I chattered my teeth for a little bit before I felt Luma give me a towel.

"Where's Waluigi?" Brian asked.

We stayed silent, answering his question.

I looked out to sea again, and the location of the Temple of Diamonds was no longer seen. The entire Temple was submerged under the water. There was a slight moment of silence, and it was broken when Rose tried to swallow back a sob. I turned, and she was fighting so hard not to cry. I got Brian's attention, and he held Rose against him. She held him back, burying her face into his shoulder as she tried not to cry. It didn't last long. Big tears swelled in her eyes when she looked at Brian, and he gently brushed them away with his thumb. As soon as he did, about three more tears fell from her eyes, and Rose closed her eyes.

"Not again." She whispered. "Please…not again."

Brian held her hands tight as she softly sobbed, tilting her head down. A single tear fell from her face and onto Brian's foot. He rested her head on his chest and held her against him. He closed his eyes, and a single tear of his own slid down his face as he kissed the top of her head lightly. They stayed like that for a few minutes, and she shifted her position, resting the side of her head on his chest and standing closer to him.

There was a thick moment of silence. Suddenly, the water's surface exploded, and both Wendy and Waluigi were propelled into the air and landed on the deck. Wendy coughed up water on the deck as Rose knelt down to her and got her wet winter coat off. As soon as the coat was off, Wendy coughed up a stream of water, choking in the process. I gave her my towel and Mario used his flames to warm her up and dry her off. Waluigi dried himself off and made sure Wendy was alright. With a little struggle, she stood up and faced us all. She gently lifted her hand, and white snow traveled through her fingers. With a little more effort, the snow had turned into a purple so dark it looked black. She let her hand fall to her side, diminishing the power in the process.

"I am really proud of you, Wendy." Eugene said as Rose embraced her sister. "Not many people can gain control of the dark arts."

"The Ice Illusion spoke to me." Wendy responded. "I could hear it as the waters crashed around us. It warned me that I only had one shot to get the seal spell correct and lock away Bonechill. He warned me that if I succeeded, then there would be no harm done, but if I failed, the darkness would possess me and possibly destroy me; making me into the new Dark Ice beacon. Since the Temple was destroyed, the dark Ice would melt, and I would perish."

"This is definitely something we cannot take lightly." Peasley responded. "We all need to make sure we are 100% confident in each other as well as ourselves. Not only would Wendy die from this, but life as we know it would be utterly destroyed."

Too many thoughts were running through my mind at that moment. I couldn't comprehend what anyone was saying. Silently, I walked into the boat and down the stairs into the crew's sleeping quarters. The actual crew wasn't there; they were frozen in Toad Town. I curled into a ball in one of the cots and sobbed in fear. I was so terrified that we wouldn't succeed…and we would just have to watch the world slowly dissolve in ice. My sobbing grew to soft wails. They would have been louder, but I didn't want to scare or alarm anyone. I think I cried for about an hour before I felt a hand rest on my head. I sniffed, and made no attempt of figuring out who it was.

"Why are you crying?" Peasley asked softly after a few minutes.

I sat up, and saw not only Peasley, but Fiamo as well. Both of them looked genuinely concerned for me, and I averted my eyes. Fiamo knelt down and held my hands, asking softly if I needed to talk to someone. I shook my head as I bit my tongue to not cry out loud. Fiamo stayed with me as Peasley went back upstairs. A few minutes passed, and I looked up to see everyone come downstairs.

"Shouldn't…shouldn't someone watch the deck?" I stuttered.

"We are already in Beanbean docks." Brian explained.

Daisy sat down next to me, and took one of my hands. I looked up, and noticed that everyone was sitting in what looked like a poor attempt at a circle. I laughed lightly, and Fiamo sat on the other side of me. We waited for a few seconds, and I sighed.

"Well, let's get the ball rolling, shall we?" Fiamo stated. "Well, one of my biggest fears is that I won't get to see Peasley again after this. I'll have to go back to the _Teacup_ after all of this terror is over."

"No matter how far apart we are, I will still love you." Peasley answered kissing his hand. Fiamo nodded, and Peasley went next. "There is a tradition in Beanbean that runs through the Royal Family. This tradition is that a prince must go to each kingdom and prove their loyalty and alliance to that Royal Family in order to be recognized as a possible ruler for Beanbean. My time is coming for this mission, and it terrifies me."

"Do you have to do this on your own?" Fiamo asked. "I would be a body guard for you if I am allowed to join."

Peasley nodded. "I would be honored to have you guard me."

"Luma worried about Mama." He squeaked from Mario's shoulder. "But Luma know Mama be okay in end. Mama stronger than Mama think."

I smiled. Mario and Peach had the same fear; not being able to restore peace in the Mushroom Kingdom after all of this is over. Eugene's biggest fear is what to do after the ice melts, and Peasley offered him to study more of the Dark Arts at the Academy there, and he nodded, accepting the offer. Wendy was afraid that she wouldn't be able to control the new Dark Ice ability, but everyone told her that she could since she already had the power of ice. Brian was worried about the well-being of his crew while Rose wanted Brian to stay for a few days after this was all over. Waluigi told Daisy to go next; that he had a lot to sort out in his head. She explained that she had been away from her Kingdom for too long, and feared that it was time for her to restore peace from when Tatanga attacked years ago.

"I worry and fear a lot." Waluigi said facing me. "I know I talked to you about this earlier, Luigi, but I feel that more people than just you need to know this. Wendy and I have been dating for about half a year, but a lot of people tell me that the relationship won't work; that Wendy is using me." I watched Wendy's eyes grow in rage. "I know that she isn't; what do I have that she wants? I want nothing from her either other than her love. My fear is that people will go out of their way to try and ruin the relationship we built over the small time we have been dating."

"Well, if they do; just let me know." Rose answered first. "I'll teach them a lesson or two about messing with my sister and her happiness with you."

"As I mentioned before, I am quite shocked that this happened for you, Waluigi." I answered trying to not break in tears. "Not the mortified, confused 'what in the world does she see in him' shock; more if the 'pleasant surprise' shock. Knowing your…previous relationships… I feared that you would have given up. Not only did you prove me wrong and everyone else wrong; you also made a lot of people envious of what you two share as not only friends, but as a couple. Personally, I don't think you should stress over it. It probably will happen. Just remember where your heart is; in Doctor Wendy's care."

A few moments of silence passed.

"Thank you, Luigi." Wendy whispered. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"He basically spoke for all of us." Daisy added holding my hand tighter.

"Luigi?" I faced Fiamo as he spoke my name. "Is there something you need to say?"

I nodded, and took a deep breath. "I feel that I am overthinking everything and stating the obvious, but my biggest fear is that this…this nightmare will never end. I feel like I am the only one not confident in myself about this fight. It scared me so bad; I haven't been able to rest for the past few nights because of this fear. Nightmares of Dimentio's laugh echo all through the night and make me wake up in a cold sweat. The first look of Bonechill we got is an image that was ingrained in my mind; it is worse than Fawful's smile. I know that some people are strong enough to live through the fight. Their magic will aid them. Brian's courage will get him through it as well as Fiamo's precise aim. But…but I don't feel strong. I don't feel confident in myself. I am afraid that I'll be the sole reason this doesn't work out."

I stopped, fighting with every fiber in my being not to cry. I was thrown for a loop when Eugene stood up, and embraced me. I didn't hold him back or push him away; I really didn't know what to do. He faced me, and knelt down to my height when I sat back down.

"I know how lost you feel." He spoke softly. "You shouldn't feel this way; you have all of us to help you. You have an amazing relationship with your brother and with everyone here. To be honest, I don't think I would be here with you if it weren't for you and Luma. I know the feeling of being afraid of screwing up everything. I felt that the entire time I was working with Dimentio. When he told me that I did screw up, and that I was no longer part of the plot, I had no idea what to do. I was left in Boo Woods to make a decision for myself, and I was completely lost. Luma told me that I had more purpose than serving 'Clown Man' as he put it; that there was so much more for me to do. I'm glad I listened to him and you. Luigi, you are a hell of a lot stronger than you think you are. Sure, it won't come at first, but when it comes to the safety of the people you care for, you can do amazing things. I have mental proof, and I am sure somewhere there is video proof. Never doubt yourself; it will blind you of the very things that could save you."

I was at a complete loss of what to say. Eugene sat down again, and I could barely make a sound. After a minute, I mentioned that I had no idea of the impact I made on him, and he responded that that was the kind of power I possess for the people I care for the most. We decided the next thing we should do is to get some well-deserved sleep, for Mario mentioned that the big fight could happen as early as tomorrow morning. We gathered our things, and traveled from the docks to the Castle. As soon as we got there, everyone went to their own rooms.

"Eugene." I stopped him. "Thank you for everything."

He shrugged. "Let's just say that it was my way of repaying you. Get some sleep; you deserve it tonight…we all do."


	27. Chapter 27

For the first time in a few months, I actually had a good night's sleep. I felt refreshed and new as I sat up and stretched my arms into the air. I yawned softly as I turned to see what time it was. Well, I _did_ have a good night's sleep until I saw that it was 5am. Sighing, I stood up slowly and put slippers on as well as my black robe. I walked out of the room, tying the robe belt around me in the process. Gently closing the door so I would not wake my roommate, I walked out into the hall and down the stairs. I thought I was the only one that was awake at this hour, but to my shock, Brian was awake as well. He was drinking from a coffee mug and was cleaning his sword. He glanced up at me, and waved gently. I greeted him back as I joined him. One of the maids came up to me and offered coffee. After politely accepting, she went into the kitchen to get it.

"Why in the world are you up?" Brian asked softly raising his sword in the air. Seeing a spot, he set it down and continued polishing it.

"I should ask you the same thing." I answered.

"Well, for one, I haven't taken care of Estella, so I am tending to her."

"You name your swords?"

He looked at me. "Yes. Fiamo's bow is named Angelica…have you never named your weapons?"

"That would be strange since I use magic." He laughed lightly, and I noticed that the light of happiness was not in his eyes. "Is…something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing is wrong I'm just worried." I thanked the maid as she gave me my drink. I looked at Brian again, and he sighed, knowing that he had to speak. "Well…there is something that no one really knows that will happen despite the outcome of this upcoming battle. It will be something that will tear us apart as a family. I just don't know how people will react when it occurs."

"Now you have me frightened."

Brian shook his head. "It isn't something to worry about." Once again, I gave him the silent treatment. "Well, I don't really have a choice at this point, do I?" I shook my head. "Well, you know that Fiamo is a pirate." I had no idea where he was going with this. I lifted an eyebrow at him. "The issue is that he is still part of the crew of the _Teacup_."

"He said that already."

"Let me finish. Captain Syrup will want nothing to do with the relationship he has built with Peasley, and will probably do anything to destroy the bond that is between them. Once this is all over, she will take him away without another word."

"I thought she threw him off the boat."

"She's thrown me in shark-infested waters before, and I was her right-hand man for a few years." He countered lightly. "I know that she is not too keen on the thought of him not being straight, and she sure as hell will be mortified at the thought of him holding a relationship. She will tear the two of them apart to make sure she keeps her right hand man since I left."

"Well, I have no idea how these pirate things work, but are there any ways that Fiamo can join your crew?"

"Not easily. He can be listed as a potential sailor as long as he is in Syrup's crew, but I can't take him away from her without things getting messy."

I nodded. "Well, the thing we need to do is to be strong for them when the time comes for them to be separated. I know Peasley; he will be a mess and might do rash things in order to hold Fiamo close to his heart again. I don't know how Fiamo will react, though…"

Brian nodded. "He will probably try to be strong and leave with his chin up and his eyes dry. It will only be after he is away from Peasley that he'll break down. I can try to warn the others on Syrup's crew about this situation before it happens."

I took another sip from the coffee, and I heard footsteps behind me. I turned over my shoulder, and Brian greeted Eugene, who waved at me and said hello. He joined us for breakfast.

"I have a question." I said to Eugene, who looked at me in concern. "Do you…name your weapon?"

"I did, yes." He answered. "It is Varonnica. Why ask?"

"Does everyone name their weapons?"

"Not everyone." Brian answered. "I have to because there are a lot of swords that look like mine. Estella is carved into the hilt of the sword so other pirates see it and know that it is not theirs."

I nodded, understanding. We got into a deep discussion about the next possible move and how soon the Dark Ice needs to be removed from Wendy's system in order for her to not get sick. Eugene explained that since she is not used to the Dark Arts, the power might be too much for her to handle at first, and it could make her physically sick to the point where she could die. After about an hour, everyone else had joined, but when I looked around, I noticed that neither Fiamo nor Peasley were there. I voiced this to the others.

"Fiamo told Peasley about the split and Captain Syrup." Brian informed me. "He's completely heartbroken. Peasley understands that this has to happen, but he's not very happy about it. I want to give them a little time to themselves before we go to battle."

I agreed, and once we got some sort of a plan down, we were dismissed to enjoy the last day of freedom before we go into battle. I walked into my room to change into my normal day clothes, and Luma was sitting on my pillow, looking at me. I asked him is something was the matter, and he flew to my chest.

"Luma made decision now." He peeped softly. "Luma knows what Luma want to do."

I nodded. "Are you sure? I know that you were still debating the idea a little bit ago."

He nodded. "Luma knows now. Luma no tell, though; wait until ice gone."

I kissed the top of his head, and I changed into my normal attire before embracing Luma again. We were heading down the stairs when Luma squeaked at me to wait. He flew back into my room, and grabbed a tissue box. Knowing what he was up to, I tried to stop him, but he hit me with the box instead. Sighing, I followed him.

He flew up to Fiamo's bedroom door, and waited for me to open the door. I knocked lightly, and Fiamo gave me the okay. I didn't have to be in the room to know that he had been crying. I opened the door slightly, and Luma made his way in, carrying the tissue box. I stayed near the door, and waited for Luma to come out. A few moments passed, and nothing happened. I opened the door a little more and walked in.

Peasley was sitting on the side of the bed, and he smiled lightly at my entrance. Fiamo was kneeling on the ground, and his head was resting in his arms, which were crisscrossed on Peasley's lap. The prince was gently stroking Fiamo's hair in an attempt to calm him down without causing him to burst into tears. After a bit, Peasley stood the poor man up, and embraced him. Luma flew to the two of them, asking if they wanted napkins (as he called them). Fiamo smiled, and took a few for him and Peasley.

"Fi." Peasley whispered to him. "I want you to be strong when you have to go. Lord knows I won't be."

"I'm…" Fiamo had to stop to catch his breath. "I'm afraid I won't see you again."

"Don't say that. We will see each other again; I know it. We have other things to worry about other than our relationship. Let's focus on those before we worry about us, alright?"

He nodded lightly, and they embraced one last time before thanking Luma and me. I nodded, and asked if they were ready to head downstairs. Peasley and Luma headed down, but I stopped Fiamo, telling him to hold on. He looked at me in concern.

"I just wanted to let you know that Brian is working on getting you on his crew." I informed him. I saw the lights in his eyes return in happiness and hope. "It may not be for a few years, but Brian wants you to be happy; I can tell you that much. You may have to suffer with Captain Syrup for a few years, though."

"It will be worth the wait." He answered smiling. "Thank you, Luigi; I don't think you know how much this means to me."

With new found hope, he walked down the stairs with me. At this point, everyone was downstairs and chatting about what the next plan of attack should be.

"Honestly," I inserted myself in the conversation, "if we go after Bonechill now, Dimentio will be there to stop us."

"We should split up, then." Mario advised. "The strongest mages will go with Wendy to seal Bonechill away, and then the others will go after Dimentio."

"Do you honestly think I can take on either one of them?" Brian asked.

"It is a bad idea to spread our forces out." Fiamo added softly. "They will weaken us faster. Try to keep in mind that they _are _stronger than us."

"Well, the only thing I can think of is getting more allies." Waluigi spoke. "But I don't know who to go after that isn't already frozen in this ice."

"Why don't we all go after Bonechill, then we split into teams if Dimentio shows up?" Daisy offered.

The silence that followed made it an agreement. We all stood up and gathered equipment for travel and the big battle. As soon as we were all bundled up, Booling appeared and asked that we sit in a circle and talk one more time before all of this happens. We did, and we didn't talk about fears or regrets; we talked just like a family would. We were laughing and smiling…I knew Booling did this for us because he feared that this would be the last time we would see some of these people. He said that as soon as we got done talking, and we thanked him before we left the security of the Beanbean Castle. The wind was bitter and strong once we got out. Thanks to Rose, she redirected the wind to blow against our backs, making the travel a lot faster than usual. Once we got to the portal, a small moment of silence passed through us. Wendy cast a small spell of Dark Ice, and almost instantly Dimentio appeared, bringing Bonechill with him. Dimentio snapped his fingers, and the explosions of fire started the war of ice.


	28. Chapter 28

As I had predicted, the first person Dimentio went after was Wendy. Before the flames exploded in front of her, Waluigi got in the way and drowned them with a blast of water. Using his darkness, Eugene was the bait for Bonechill as he kept casting different spells in his general direction. He was distracting the monster from trying to destroy Peasley, who was guarding Wendy as well. As he dodged an ice attack, the prince inhaled, placed his fingers in his lips, and let out a shrill whistle. A few seconds passed, and his flying bean flew past him at an alarming speed. Before it passed him, he grabbed a hold of it and was soon skyrocketed into the air. After a few terrifying moments of uncertainty, Peasley managed to get on and stand up. Soon, the bean was flying circles around Bonechill's head, causing the monster to swat at the duo. When he would miss, Peasley would take to opportunity to take a stab at the monster and fly away again before getting hit.

Fiamo was standing next to Eugene and was taunting the ice demon by shooting arrows at him every time he lashed out and tried to hit someone else other than Peasley. It came to a point where Fiamo would aim at Peasley, and release an arrow. Just before it hit him, the prince would dodge the attack, and the cautiously aimed arrow would hit the target behind him. Both the men shifted their attack position, moving to the back of the head as Eugene would pester him up front while luring him towards the portal.

Mario and I were busy with Dimentio. Every time one of us would get close enough to hit him, he would disappear and we would end up hitting the other brother. Thankfully, it was only our flames, so we could easily counter one another. I had just dodged a fire attack from Dimentio when he disappeared, and he reappeared in between Bonechill and Eugene. With a demonic laugh, the jester blasted his power at Eugene, causing him to crash into Fiamo in the process.  
"You call yourselves heroes?" he asked his voice thick with wicked, deathly glee.  
Before he could attack again, Peasley just shouted "eyes". Knowing what this meant, all of us shielded our eyes as a blinding light filled the area. It was worse than last time because it was nighttime and the light reflected off of the ice. Once I could see, my power changed, and I shot lightning bolts at Dimentio. He was still recovering from the blinding flash, so my aim was perfect. The thunder echoed off the icy terrain and the jester hit the ground.  
"I will not go down without a fight!" Bonechill screamed, his demonic voice booming.  
He roared in anger as he shot ice from the cannon that was located on the lower part of his body. Not only that, he breathed a haze of icy cold flames all around him, preventing any of us from getting close. Any attack that we would try to use would only end up freezing and never touching him. We were forced to retreat back, fearing that we would become frozen.

An idea hit me there and then.

Pulling my brother with me, I started to retreat. Mario didn't pull away or argue with me; he saw the determination in my eyes and knew that I had a small idea. I got in between Bonechill and the portal. He roared and started charging after me. Mario nodded, now knowing what I was doing. He called the others to us silently, and we were all in a small cluster, slowly backing away from Bonechill and towards the portal. He let out a hearty roar of deadly desire, and charged straight for us. Right before he could hit us, we all jumped out of the way, causing the demon to crash into the portal himself.  
As soon as he hit the portal, Rose shot Wendy in the air using her magic and kept her afloat. Eugene casted the stakes to encircle the portal, and the air vibrated and hummed with darkness. As Wendy was casting spells one right after the other using the Dark Ice, Mario was summoning flames and added his spells to the seals. I snapped lightning into my hands, and started firing off bolts into the portal. Not only did they add to the seal's strength, they also hit Bonechill as he was trying to climb out. His roars of pain and rage were deafening as the portal began to close.

"Go back to which you came from." Wendy called out over the sounds of the battle. "And never return. By the power of the Dark Ice, I damn you back to the Hell of which you were birthed from!"

"As long as the sun rises, your icy breath will never bathe these peaceful lands!" Peasley screamed from his perch on the bean.

"With all of our powers combined," Mario whispered in anger, "This seal will never break. You will forever suffer within the darkest and deepest reaches of the Underwhere."

Wendy screamed a bloody battle cry as she released the last of her Dark Ice. The impact it made on Bonechill was majestic yet a scarring sight to behold. The Ice had hit the monster square in the face, causing his head to whip back with the impact. The crack of his neck echoed off the silent ice, and it felt like a gun had been shot. The sound faded into the night, and everything was still. The only sounds that could be heard after the crack was the flames dancing in Mario's hands and the wind gently caressing my ears. A few seconds passed, and Bonechill let out a wail of sadness and pain.

The ground began to quake, and he realized that he was sinking into the portal. He let out one last cry that was filled with desperate freedom as the seal took form of different inscriptions. The words sparked and burned him as he tried to escape. That cry turned into a desperate shout of agony and rage as the seal took form and the land was refurbished. The pattern glowed for a few minutes before fading within the ground; the traces of its birth no longer visible.

There was a moment of silence that was filled with uncertainty of what to do next, but it was murdered when the explosions of war echoed off of the surface of the ice shattering the moment. Eugene sighed, and approached Dimentio. As the jester floated to the ground, he bowed graciously.

"Did you honestly think that Mr. E had changed?" Dimentio laughed. "King Boo was right; you are truly gullible."

"But…" I whispered in shock and terror.

"I'm sorry." Eugene whispered. Gently, he raised his hand towards us, and Darkness encompassed it. As it grew in intensity, Mario jumped in front of us all with his magic dancing wildly in his hands. Eugene closed his eyes, and let his hand fall. The black orb was floating in the frigid air as he gently pulled out his katana. "Please…forgive me."

Before anything else was said, the orb continued to grow in intensity. Mario powered his flames brighter and bigger, but the light was diminished as the Darkness absorbed it. Using his shoulder, Eugene gestured for the power to attack. It shot forward, and I swear that everything was in slow-motion. I watched as the power closed in on Mario, and then…

…it stopped.

Well, not really; it more did a sharp U-Turn than anything else. When it turned, the slow motion stopped, and we watched as the Dark Orb collided with Dimentio's face, knocking him back a few feet. When he hit the ground, Eugene pointed his blade a few inches away from the mask. They stayed in that position for a few seconds.

"You were wrong." Eugene shouted in anger. "You were wrong about everything! Not all people who can control the Dark Arts have to be Dark themselves. You lied to me!"

Eugene thrusted his sword down, but Dimentio disappeared, causing the sword to bounce off the ice. He stood back up, and Dimentio appeared behind him. I saw Fiamo draw an arrow from behind him, and I ducked, hearing it slice through the air. Eugene dodged, and a white rose stuck itself into the jester's shoulder. Regardless of his injury, the battle still ensued.

Knowing that she couldn't fight because of the overuse of her power, Wendy stayed in the back and out of the way. Rose started casting healing spells and Wendy casted light protection spells so we wouldn't get poisoned or couldn't see what we were doing. Brian stood his ground as each spell was cast on him and I jumped in front of him, defending an attack in the process. I shot a few lightning bolts of my own, but they missed their target. Dimentio flew up to Brian, and his hand engulfed in flames. The pirate jumped out of the way in time, and knelt so the last spell could be cast in quick time. Standing, he dodged another attack from Dimentio, and tried to cut him to no avail.

Knowing that something had to be done, I turned to Waluigi, and he nodded lightly. Soon he had a small amount of water dancing through his fingertips. The water snaked out of his hands, and it slithered across the air until it got to me. I jumped back, taking Brian with me. The water attached itself to Dimentio's feet, freezing him to the ground.

"This is the end…" Eugene hissed at Dimentio.

Suddenly, the katana pierced through the front of Dimentio's chest, and his blood escaped in every direction, hitting Brian, Eugene and I in the process. Wasting no time, the blade twisted, and was pulled out, causing the wound to turn into a black waterfall. Dimentio collapsed on his knees.

"This…this is only the prelude." His laugh was weak and feeble as tar dripped from his lips. "The…the opening Act is yet…to come. Ahahahahahaha…"

He collapsed, and his body faded into nothing, leaving behind only a puddle of tar. Gently, I grabbed the bandana that was in my pocket and cleaned off my eyes so I could see, and then offered it to Brian. He nodded, thanking me, and cleaned his face so he could see as well. Once he gave it back to me and I placed it back in my pocket, a wave of fear filled me when Wendy began to cry. Gently, Waluigi approached her and held her close.

"There is no need to cry." He soothed. "The Reign of Ice is over…and will never return."


	29. Chapter 29

Thankfully, the only person that broke down once everything was all said and done was Wendy. It wasn't until we got back to the Beanbean Castle that it hit everyone else that it was over. I hugged my brother and Daisy in happiness and new found hope. Peasley invited us to stay at the castle until the ice was melted, and the only one who declined was Fiamo, who said that he had to go back to Captain Syrup's ship. The mood shifted slightly, but the farewell was bittersweet. Brian went with Fiamo and Peasley to the docks, and they returned without Fiamo about an hour later. According to Brian, Syrup wasn't too pleased at Fiamo's disappearance. Peasley defended him, saying that he had hired him as a guardian during the Reign of Ice, and even gave her the money in order to not get him in trouble. Once everyone was off doing their own thing, I approached him and asked if he wanted to talk. He politely declined, saying that he would be alright after a few hours, but mentioned that he would come to me if he wasn't.

It took about a month for the ice to melt enough that we could travel safely. Booling was waiting for us in Brian's ship, and we told him how we had sealed Bonechill back and how Eugene killed Dimentio. He nodded, thanking us but apologizing for dragging us into the mess in the first place. Before we set sail, Peasley and Eugene departed, saying that we would be getting together once again. Brian asked us to stay in his quarters, and he left, closing the door behind him. A few minutes passed, and I could hear his soft voice from under the floorboards, telling his crew that they were setting sail to the Mushroom Kingdom. He also mentioned Peach and Daisy's names to warn them how important this travel was. A few more minutes passed, and Brian came back in, saying that we were more than welcome to walk out and about on the deck. It was a bit too cold for my liking, so I stayed in the Captain's Room with Wendy and Waluigi.

Due to Wendy's fear of the ocean, she stayed inside, and Waluigi stayed to keep her company. We talked lightly about business until we got the word that we were at the docks. I got to the door, and opened it for Wendy, saying that ladies were first. She got to the door, and stopped, the fear consuming her senses. Slowly, Waluigi pulled out a black bandana, and gently removed her glasses, tying it over her eyes. Holding her hand and guiding her out the door, he escorted her off the boat so she wouldn't have to see the ocean. She was unblindfolded and her glasses returned to her. After thanking Brian profusely, he sailed off once again.

Rose and Wendy went back to their home and reopened their shop while Peach and Daisy returned to their Kingdoms. That left me, Mario and Waluigi to do one last thing. Slowly, I took a deep breath, and nodded at Mario. He smiled, and all three of us went towards Boo Woods. Once we got to Waluigi's place, he split from us, saying his farewell. Slowly, Mario and I traveled through the woods and found the small shack that was Professor Gadd's lab. Mario rested his hand on my shoulder, and silently ushered me forward. Tentatively, I knocked on the door, calling for the Professor and saying that it was me. I heard a few things get moved around, and the door was opened. Luma popped out of my hat, and kissed my nose.

"Luma love Mama." He peeped.

"Mama love Luma." I answered kissing him back.

He flew in after Gadd, and the door was closed. I placed my hat back on my head, and felt the tears burn my eyes. Clenching my jaws as tight as I could, I squeezed my tears back. I tried to stifle a sob, but sound still emitted from my throat. I felt someone wrap their arms around me in a comforting gesture, but I knew it wasn't Mario; he's too short. I turned slightly and saw Peasley. Before I could ask, Eugene was there as well, his dark powers fading into the snow. Turning, I also saw Wendy and Rose approaching. Peasley released me, and said that Fiamo would have been here as well. I nodded, and I embraced the others who came.

Even though the princesses, pirates and Waluigi weren't here…I'm happy that my friends were here to support me in my time of need.

I went a few feet back from the door, and we all chatted lightly about the adventure we just had, and mentioned some of the parts that were the most memorable. Wendy mentioned that she startled herself that she could control the Dark Ice, and Eugene responded that he was shocked as well, mentioning that darkness has to choose a person to control it. Mario brought up the fact that Peasley played the violin, and he laughed lightly. The mood was kept light until the lab door opened. Gadd gestured to me, and I approached him, my heart heavy. I entered the building, gritting my teeth again.

"Mama." Luma piped at me. "Luma explain decision."

I looked up, and he was still a Luma.

…he didn't transform.

"Luma know Mama be sad if Luma change." He spoke softly as he approached me. "Luma know Mama said not to make decision on what others say, but Luma know Mama be sad. Not only Mama, but: Princely Bean Man, Uncle Mar-Mar, Pirate Man, Red Head Pirate, Nurse, Doctor, Tall Purple Man, Pretty Girl, Flower, and eww jeen all be sad too. Luma miss Mama's cookies and stories too. But not only reason: Luma…Luma happy. Luma love Mama Luigi. Mama's Luma…Mama's Star. Always. Luma sorry for making Mama cry. Forgive?"

I held him close to my heart and sobbed softly, telling him that I loved him very much. He sobbed softly in my arms in happiness, his light dimming so he wouldn't blind me from under my eyelids. I stood up, and thanked Gadd for what he did for Luma, and he nodded, saying that it was Luma's decision not to go through with it. He also mentioned that he had tried it on another Luma, and that it worked just fine. After thanking him again, I left the little shack. The rest of my friends looked at me, and saw the tears on my face. Mario stood up, and before he could say anything, Luma flew out of my arms.

"Us crewmates gotta stick together," He purred his light glowing happily. "through times of eventides and rough seas."


End file.
